THE STRATEGIC ARCHITECTURE OF STATE RESILIENCE: PREVENTING COUPS D’ÉTAT AND VIOLENT EXTREMISM IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Abstract

This article analyses the structural and institutional determinants that condition state resilience in the face of threats of constitutional rupture and the expansion of violent extremism in the twenty-first century. It assumes that the prevention of these threats cannot rely exclusively on the coercive capacity of the armed forces, since institutional fragility, legitimacy deficits, limited state territorial presence, and transnational security dynamics contribute to environments conducive to political instability and extremist violence. Theoretically, the study combines the Regional Security Complex Theory, the broadened security approach of the Copenhagen School, political institutionalism, and the postcolonial critical perspective. Methodologically, it adopts a qualitative, descriptive-analytical approach based on bibliographic and documentary research, complemented by a comparative analysis of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. The analysis suggests that state resilience results from the articulation of five interdependent dimensions: military professionalisation and democratic civilian control; institutional strengthening and territorial presence; strategic intelligence and early warning; participatory democratic governance and social inclusion; and regional cooperation and collective security. It concludes that the sustainable prevention of coups d’état and violent extremism requires an integrated security architecture capable of combining defence capacity, political legitimacy, institutional effectiveness, social participation, and regional cooperation.