Historical Context of Coups d'État: From Ancient Rome to Modern Africa
The concept of a coup d'état, defined as a sudden and illegal overthrow of an existing government, has a long history dating back to antiquity, with early examples like Julius Caesar's march on Rome. Its modern usage began with Napoleon Bonaparte's Coup of 18 Brumaire in 1799, which established the idea of a swift seizure of power by political or military insiders. Unlike revolutions, coups are typically executed by a small group of elites. In contemporary international relations, coups are considered illegal, yet their illegality is often overlooked in response to perceived poor democratic governance, particularly in Africa. The African Union, through initiatives like the 2000 Lomé Declaration, has sought to create a continental framework to prevent unconstitutional changes of government, defining such changes to include military coups against democratically elected governments, mercenary interventions, and the refusal of leaders to cede power after fair elections. Despite these efforts, coups persist, of... 
