Examining the Causes of Military Intervention in West Africa: The Case Study of Ghana (1969–1985)

Abstract

Since Independence, West African countries, including Ghana, have experienced military interventions in several forms. The international community, including regional bodies, tried severally to stem the occurrence of military intervention but to no avail. For this reason, "Examining the Causes of Military Intervention in West Africa: The Case Study of Ghana 1969-1985" sought to find out the causes and factors responsible for coups and suggest solutions to reduce the coups in the sub-region. The objective of the paper is to find out the impact of coups in Ghana, ascertain the factors responsible for the coups, and suggest mitigation measures. The researcher made good use of the diffusion theory, the military centrality theory and the political development theory to provide a succinct background for the work. The concept of civil-military relations was also discussed exhaustively to enable readers to understand the interconnectedness of the military and contexts coexisting in the same environment. Questionnaires were used to solicit data from 300 respondents across Ghana. Face-to-face interviews were also conducted to collect information and elicit meaning from the interviewees' body language. The telephone and the internet were useful in the collection of data. Most of the questions in the questionnaire came with neutral responses and it was only in very few cases that respondents agreed with the questions. The research concluded that definite factors could not be blamed for the cause of coups. In some cases, causative factors were remote and not even under the control of any government. It is, therefore, a difficult task for governments' efforts to control military coups. Military interventions in governance cannot totally be avoided. Therefore, governments need numerous efforts, innovation and the involvement of various stakeholders to control the situation.