Dr Fomunyoh speaks out on recurrent coups across Africa.

The globally acclaimed democracy icon has attributed recurrent coups in parts of Africa to bad governance and a fall in democracy.

The United States-based Cameroonian good governance expert made the remarks while commenting on the recent foiled military takeover in the Republic of Benin.

A group of soldiers in the West African nation, it should be recalled, had staged a coup but Beninese military, with the help of Nigerian forces, quickly foiled the putsch to overthrow the country’s leader, Patrice Talon.

Commenting on the attempted coup over Germany's international news channel, Deutsche Welle, DW, the revered global good governance advocate regretted that most countries in West Africa are returning to era of coups and counter coups.

Responding to questions on whether calm had indeed returned to the tiny West African nation, Dr Fomunyoh told the German media organ that: “My assessment is that it is totally justifiable to believe what Mr Talon is saying. He wouldn’t have had the confidence to be able to go on national TV and give a speech to the nation if he wasn’t sure that he is well secured and that the leaders of the attempted coup were under arrest and the situation under control”. 

He continued: “So, my assessment is that normalcy is beginning to return to Benin and the regional body, ECOWAS wants to send in troops to back up the Beninese military as it goes through investigation to get to the bottom of the attempted coup”.

Asked if the attempted coup came as a surprise to him, Dr Fomunyoh was unequivocal.

The Cameroonian said: “Well, it’s most unfortunate that for past the three or four years, images such as these with soldiers…in front of national TV channels have become common place in most of West Africa, a Subregion that for two or three decades, has had considerable progress in terms of democratic governance”.

He immediately regretted that: “It is really unfortunate that we are returning to the era of military coups and counter coups. So, in some way, it was surprising but at the same time, we know that Benin has been a lead country in terms of democratisation efforts in West Africa…Beninese citizens have learned to take their grievances through political processes and through the ballot process…I was really surprised that something like this should happen, five months before President Talon’s term comes to an end”.

Speaking on what measures could be taken by Benin’s leadership to restore complete order in the nation, Dr Fomunyoh said: “My understanding is that the military has the upper hand and President Talon is in charge…and he is going to find some way to settle scores. It will be most unfortunate if the situation is handled in a way that can further exacerbate tensions within the military...but of course, given that there was an assault on his residence, President Talon is personally going through trauma himself and as Head of State and Commander-ln-Chief of the Armed Forces, he is probably going to handle this, in a way as to avoid a repeat of tension in the years ahead”.

He continued that: “…I wouldn’t be surprised if there are stern measures that are taken but he (Talon), would have to ensure that those measures are taken with regards to full respect of the rule of law and the rights of everyone that was involved”.

Regrets governance lapses 

Commenting on the state of democracy in West Africa, Dr Fomunyoh regretted governance lapses in most countries of the Subregion.

He said: “One must be honest to acknowledge that we have really seen a backslide of democracy in the past five to ten years. We have seen that a lot of the aspirations of West Africans to be governed justly has been met by the poor performance of some leaders, including leaders who initially were democratically elected”.

“So, there is some level of frustration within society. That is why sometimes when these coups happen, citizens are either indifferent or applaud. I will however hastily say that coups and military juntas are not the way out because the only way that military regimes hang onto power is to trample on the very freedoms and political rights of citizens,” he continued.

Dr Fomunyoh noted that: “I think the Subregion is going through a very trying period…a vast majority of West Africans want democratic societies…the countries that are not under military rules need to improve their performances and delivery of services to citizens…those that are currently under military regimes should find a way to go through transitions that can bring back civilian rules”.

ECOWAS not to blame

Meanwhile, commenting on the same issue on United States-based international news channel, CNN, Dr Christopher Fomunyoh rejected suggestions that the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, wasn’t doing enough to prevent recurrent coups from being staged in the Subregion. Dr Fomunyoh was categorical that the problem lies elsewhere.

He told CNN that: “The fault really is not with ECOWAS but more about how each one of these countries have managed their civil-military relationship. What makes the difference for Benin is the fact that it was the sitting government of President Patrice Talon that immediately requested Nigeria and ECOWAS assistance to foil the coup”.

Dr Fomunyoh explained that: “In some of the other cases, the governments were already overthrown before ECOWAS tried to get in…so ECOWAS’ ability has really been tested because in 2001, ECOWAS adopted an additional protocol on democracy and good governance, which held its governments to standards of governing justly and which required that ECOWAS couldn’t authorise or recognise military regimes”.

“…faced with the situation in the Sahel, Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad, it had to take a strong stand in saying that it would not recognise those regimes that come to power through military coups. It’s been difficult to reverse the coups once there have been staged but fortunately for the case of Benin, the coup had not succeeded yet,” he continued.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3650 of Tuesday December 09, 2025