Date of Conferral

8-8-2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Dr. Marcel Kitissou

Abstract

Military coups d’état remain a persistent threat to postcolonial African states, undermining democratic consolidation and institutional legitimacy. The Gambia, although historically regarded as a relatively stable West African nation, has experienced approximately 14 coup attempts since gaining independence from Great Britain in 1965. While military coups in Africa are well documented, much of the existing literature relies on broad regional frameworks that emphasize externalities such as foreign influence and geopolitical pressures rather than internalities such as national policy direction, and domestic governance challenges. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to address that gap by providing context-specific empirical research focused on The Gambia. Drawing on an interdisciplinary theoretical framework, the study integrates Huntington’s civil-military relations theory and Collier and Hoeffler’s grievance-based theory to examine how public policies and socio-political factors under the Jawara (1965 to 1994), Jammeh (1994 to 2016), and Barrow (2017 to 2024) administrations shaped conditions conducive to military interventions. Semi-structured interviews with 16 political experts and content analysis of historical records and government reports were conducted. The data were analyzed thematically to identify patterns of military intervention and assess the effectiveness of anticoup measures. The findings reveal that ineffective security sector reform, political exclusion, and economic disparities created fertile conditions for coups. Thus, beyond its empirical contribution, the study promotes positive social change by equipping policymakers with evidence-based strategies through targeted policy interventions aimed at preventing coups and strengthening institutional stability.

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