By Neque Alcino António João Francisco
In a compelling and timely analysis, Angolan scholar Neque Alcino António João Francisco has cast a revelatory spotlight on the anatomy of political power in Africa, challenging conventional understandings of military hierarchies in the wake of a surge in coups across the continent.
Francisco’s research, titled Anatomy of Power in African Hierarchies, explores why captains—young, pragmatic, and digitally savvy junior officers—are increasingly outmaneuvering their star-studded superiors to seize the reins of government in fragile African states. “The figure of the general, although imposing on paper and in uniform, is often distanced from the reality of the troops,” Francisco writes. “They become barracks administrators, armed bureaucrats or decorative figures in an increasingly volatile political game.”
Drawing on examples from Burkina Faso, Sudan, Guinea, Mali, and others, Francisco identifies a clear pattern: coups led by younger officers who enjoy operational command and the loyalty of frontline troops, often coupled with a savvy use of social media to shape narratives and galvanize public support.
In Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré exemplified this trend by commandeering key artillery units to take Ouagadougou in 2022. “In many African contexts,” Francisco explains, “the stars on a general’s shoulder weigh less than the strategic presence of a determined captain, aligned with the real forces that shape contemporary power.”
This trend is not just about military might—it’s about mastering the modern “grammar of the coup,” where power depends equally on controlling physical strongholds and digital perceptions. Francisco highlights how Mali’s Colonel Assimi Goïta announced his 2020 coup on Facebook, using hashtags like #MaliLibre to construct a legitimacy that extended far beyond the barracks.
His analysis dives deeper than headlines, offering a structural critique of Africa’s post-colonial institutions. He argues that many generals are “restrained giants,” conditioned by corruption, clientelism, and ties to civilian elites. In such ecosystems, institutional authority often becomes a “symbolic staging,” Francisco observes, and power flows through networks of loyalty and influence rather than formal ranks.
Francisco warns of a broader “chained elephant syndrome” plaguing senior officers—figures that, while symbolically powerful, have been politically neutered by years of silent compromises. This vacuum enables captains, backed by both loyal troops and digital momentum, to “write the new score of power even if they still wear the captain’s uniform.”
The implications for African politics are stark. As long as institutions remain weak and loyalties personal, uniforms may continue to disguise power imbalances that run counter to traditional military logic.
“A general without loyal troops is just a well-dressed man,” Francisco quotes an African proverb to illustrate his point, suggesting that in the 21st century, the most potent tools of political power may not be stars or guns—but influence, access, and algorithms.
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