The Soldier's Creed

Abstract

The soldiers who took power in Commonwealth Africa in the 1960s had a political philosophy, and it was distinct from the prevailing ideologies of their time. Militarism drew on multiple sources, including the stiff-upper-lip martial tradition of British colonialism and the more radical influence of anticolonial liberation movements. Africa’s military leaders had more in common with radicals like Frantz Fanon than most people realized. Using jurisprudence to access their philosophy, “The Soldier’s Creed” describes how law and militarism intersected in postcolonial Africa. In Nigeria and elsewhere, soldiers saw judges as partners in their attempts to “discipline” their countries. Only some judges shared their vision, and politics became a tussle between men with gavels and men with guns.