The Military and Politics in Guinea

Abstract

This article explains why the Guinean state remained resilient to armed conflicts following military intervention in politics. The military establishment has been heavily involved in Guinean politics for nearly three decades during which time it has exhibited varied political behavior. This protracted military involvement in Guinean political affairs presented a threat to Guinea’s stability in a region where large-scale armed conflicts are often associated with military intervention in politics. This article explores the linkages between military behavior in politics and political stability by using a model derived from ethnic and identity literature. It concludes that by adopting an ethnic group-like behavior, the Guinean military played a vital role in maintaining political stability during the period between 1984 and 2010. This is in contrast to findings in recent studies where military intervention in West African politics is strongly linked with the onset of large-scale civil conflicts.

Analisis Relasi Sipil-Militer Guinea Pasca Kudeta Militer Tahun 2021

“…Kelima, penelitian yang dilakukan oleh Mamadou Diouma Bah (Bah, 2015) yang berjudul "The Military and Politics in Guinea: An Intrumental Explanation of Political Stability". Penelitian ini menjelaskan mengenai mengapa Guinea tetap mampu bertahan dalam berbagai konflik bersenjata maupun intervensi militer dalam politiknya.…”

Democratic Backsliding in Africa?

“…A blog from the venerable Council on Foreign Relations announced that "coups are back in West Africa" (Council on Foreign Relations, 2021). Nonetheless, the end of the Alpha Condé presidency in September 2021 seemed fairly predictable in a country in which most presidents have sought to remain in office for life and in which a factionalized army has intervened multiple times in the past in response to periods of popular unrest (Bah, 2015). Freedom House will probably lower the country's freedom score as a response to this military coup, but it bears saying that the country had kept the same score for more than a decade, since the last coup in 2008, when it had briefly been scored as more authoritarian.…”