The Wages of Fueling Militarism

Having fed the fires of local militarism for decades, Washington then claims to be surprised when the fires burn down elected governments.

Stephanie Savell wrote about the coup in Niger for Responsible Statecraft:

When U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Niger in March, he called the country a “model of democracy” — a symbol of how Washington has preferred to turn a blind eye to some of the Nigerien government’s more authoritarian practices and striking political and ethnic divisions. For the most part, the U.S. government has also failed to recognize that its military operations have contributed to the very instability it was ostensibly trying to forestall. 

The string of coups across West Africa ought to cause Washington to reflect on its role in contributing to instability and democratic backsliding in the region, but that seems unlikely to happen. When the U.S. is providing funding, training, and weapons to regional militaries, it is strengthening these institutions to the detriment of already weak civilian governments. Having fed the fires of local militarism for decades, Washington then claims to be surprised when the fires burn down elected governments.

It’s true that the causes of the coups are primarily local and have to do with the internal politics of these countries, but the U.S. role exacerbates the region’s existing problems at the same time that it is pursuing ineffective militarized counterterrorism policies.