Securitization, Military Regimes in West Africa, and Burkina Faso

This book examines the dynamics of securitisation in Burkina Faso and challenges the Eurocentric foundations of contemporary securitisation theory. Focusing on the country's military juntas between 2022 and 2024, it explores how security narratives have been used to justify political authority, shape state practices, and affect civilian populations. Drawing on a decolonial perspective, the book shifts attention away from external actors and great-power interventions to indigenous securitising processes in the Central Sahel. It analyses the historical roots of Burkina Faso's insecurity crisis, the practices of successive junta governments, and the consequences of securitisation for civil liberties and civilian protection. By bringing African experiences and perspectives to the centre of the analysis, this study offers a significant contribution to security studies, African politics, and International Relations. It will be of interest to scholars and students working on securitisation, decolonial approaches, the Sahel, security governance, and contemporary African politics.