‘Good coups and bad coups’: Rwandan President Kagame’s assessment of military takeovers

There are "good coups" and there are "bad coups". These were the words of Rwandan President Paul Kagame in a pointed assessment of military takeovers in several African countries.

Answering questions from journalists in Kigali on Saturday, 29 November, following last week's military coup in Guinea-Bissau, Kagame suggested that not all coups are the same.

"There are good coups and bad coups. There might be a coup by somebody who got high-handed, and high anyway, and became reckless and thought, because he has a gun, he will go and take power," Kagame said.

The Rwandan President then contrasted the "bad" coups with cases where citizens or officers act after prolonged frustration with the way they are governed.

However, he was not categorical on whether the recent coup in Guinea-Bissau was a good one or a bad one.

The coup took place on 26 November as the country awaited results of tense presidential elections, in which the deposed President Umaro Sissoco Embalo was seeking re-election.

The country's army chief, General Horta Inta-A, then took charge as transitional president.

Public discontent

Several other countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gabon, and Madagascar, have experienced military takeovers in recent years.

Addressing the broader pattern of coups in Africa, Rwandan President Kagame said such events rarely appear without warning signs.

He said, "Once there is a coup, maybe ninety percent, it means that there has been a problem."

While Kagame suggested that he does not endorse coups, he warned that similar disruptions of democracies could continue if elected leaders fail to address the root causes of public discontent.

However, he emphasised that removing a leader alone does not guarantee an end to the problems of a country.

Kagame also urged the African Union to consider stronger mechanisms to hold civilian leaders accountable when they manipulate elections or weaken institutions.

Paul Kagame became Rwandan president in 2000 after serving as vice president since 1994, when his Rwandan Patriotic Front group helped to end the genocide and rose to power.

He is currently serving his fourth term as elected president after winning last year's election with 98% of the vote.