Overview

Since independence in the 1950s, the beginning of African independence, the continent has witnessed more than two hundred military coups, dictators and democratically-elected leaders overthrown, and democracy brought to a halt. Since 2020 alone there have been 16 attempted or successful coups in West and Central Africa. While each has been unique, some common trends have driven these coups.

Why are there so many military coups in Africa? Why does the “rule by the people” not seem to work as we know it? Are the coups a destruction of democracy and/or are they forces to restore the rule of the people? Our guest, Professor Jeremias Zunguze, discusses the underlying historical andcultural factors that have combined to shape African democracy, where various forms of power and governance have continued to compete for sovereignty and monopoly, often resulting in seasonal-like military coups, civil wars, and proxy wars.

Born and raised in Mozambique, South-Eastern Africa, Dr. Zunguze is an Associate Professor of Ethnic and Gender Studies, with a focus on Africana studies, at California State University Monterey Bay. He holds a Ph.D. in Hispanic Languages and Literatures from the University of California Berkeley specializing in Luso-Brazilian Studies and Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) African Cultures. His research interests include Africana critical theory, decolonial studies, and trauma studies. Prior to joining CSUMB in the fall of 2023, for the past eight years, Dr. Zunguzetaught various courses in African and African diaspora studies at the University of North Carolina, Asheville, including The African Nation, Introduction to Africana Studies, and Introduction to Africana American Studies.