Militarisation of Politics and Politicisation of the Military in Africa
Keywords:
Militarisation, Politicisation, Civil-Military Relations, Governance, AfricaAbstract
Purpose:
This study examines the militarisation of politics and the politicisation of the military in Africa, focusing on their underlying drivers, consequences, and potential reform strategies. It seeks to understand how structural and institutional weaknesses contribute to military involvement in political governance across the continent.
Methodology:
The research adopts a qualitative case study approach, drawing on contemporary examples from Sudan, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Egypt, Nigeria, and Mali. It analyses historical legacies and evolving political dynamics shaping civil-military relations, guided by Realist and Liberal theoretical frameworks.
Findings:
The study finds that weak political institutions, governance deficits, elite competition, economic interests, and security threats drive military engagement in politics. Militarisation and politicisation are mutually reinforcing, undermining democratic governance, weakening state institutions, and violating human rights. Case evidence shows that in Sudan, rivalry between armed factions led to civil conflict; in Somalia, clan militias influenced federal tensions; and in Zimbabwe and Uganda, the military shaped political succession and economic control. These dynamics create both domestic instability and regional security challenges.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy:
The study integrates Realist and Liberal perspectives to explain civil-military interactions, highlighting both security imperatives and institutional constraints. It contributes to policy by emphasising the need for professional, accountable, and apolitical militaries supported by strong institutions, civilian oversight, and regional cooperation frameworks to enhance governance and sustainable development.
References
Andersen, M. S. (2025). Anarchy is what the balance of power made of it: two core concepts and the Public/Private distinction in international relations. International Studies Quarterly, 69(3). https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqaf064
Bashir, M., PhD, & Jibril, A., PhD. (2025). Politicization of the security system: the Nigerian experience in the Fourth Republic. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(10), 8973–8986. https://doi.org/10.47772/ijriss.2025.910000731
Brooks, R., & Pion-Berlin, D. (2022). Slow rolls, Shoulder-Taps, and coups: Building a research program in military dissent across regime types. Journal of Global Security Studies, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.1093/jogss/ogac026
Chan, K. N. (2024). Public administration in authoritarian regimes: propositions for comparative research. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, 46(3), 213–235. https://doi.org/10.1080/23276665.2024.2306554
Clapham, C., & Philip, G. (2021). The Political Dilemmas of Military Regimes. In The Political Dilemmas of Military Regimes (pp. 1–26). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003147022-1
Edeh, H. C., & Ugwueze, M. I. (2024). Military and Politics: Understanding the theoretical underpinnings of military incursion in third world politics. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p2047
John, E. J. (2021). The long years of military rule in Nigeria: a blessing or a curse. Journal of Public Administration and Governance, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.5296/jpag.v11i2.18355
Kamrava, M. (2020). Military professionalization and Civil-Military relations in the Middle East. Political Science Quarterly, 115(1), 67–92. https://doi.org/10.2307/2658034
Kaucz, B. (2022). Subduing a nation through military influences (Militarisation and demilitarisation). In Critical criminological perspectives (pp. 123–186). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16601-3_4
Korkor, C. (2020). How has US foreign policy militarization affected political stability in Africa? - ProQuest. https://search.proquest.com/openview/d1bfadb5867677f928148e8e567d3001/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
Marigat, S. K. (2012, September 1). Wetland resources and livestock availability in armed conflicts in Baringo County, Kenya. https://ir.kiu.ac.ug/handle/20.500.12306/5829
Ndlovu-Gatsheni, S. J., & Ruhanya, P. (2020). Introduction: Transition in Zimbabwe: From Robert Gabriel Mugabe to Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa: A Repetition Without Change. In African histories and modernities (pp. 1–22). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47733-2_1
Nystrand, M. J., & Yawe, B. L. (2024). The development of political settlements in Uganda from independence to the present day. In SECO Socio-Economic Research Centre & SECO, SECO WORKING PAPER [Report]. SECO Socio-Economic Research Centre. https://ruc.dk/sites/default/files/2025-01/SECO_working_paper_2024-2.pdf
Okereke, C. N., & Okereke, M. N. (2025). Terrorism in Burkina Faso: trends and dynamics. In Palgrave Studies in Global Security. (pp. 569–599). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-89940-9_22
Robinson, C. D., & Matisek, J. (2020). Assistance to locally appropriate military forces in southern Somalia. The RUSI Journal, 165(4), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/03071847.2020.1830711
Self, D. S. (2022). Bounded Democratization: How Military-Party Relations Shape Military-Led Democratization. Comparative Political Studies, 56(6), 862–896. https://doi.org/10.1177/00104140221116461
Wells, D. (2023). 4 Sub-Saharan Africa. Armed Conflict Survey, 9(1), 148–253. https://doi.org/10.1080/23740973.2023.2277534
Wu, C. (2024). Redefining concepts of nation and national security and establishing their models for the new era. Journal of Safety and Sustainability, 2(1), 45–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsasus.2024.12.002
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Louis Wataka, Samuel Nyanchoga
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are properly credited.
