The Representation of Cunning Strategies to Maximise the Political Personalisation: Machiavellian Approach to Holding and Retaining Power in Africa

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2025Author:
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Munyangeyo, Theophile, The Representation of Cunning Strategies to Maximise the Political Personalisation: Machiavellian Approach to Holding and Retaining Power in Africa, Global Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, 13, 3, 2025, 36 - 51Abstract:
This study explores the representation of Machiavellian strategies by dictators in
Francophone Africa, focusing on their use of cunning discourse to manipulate political actors
and the public to consolidate and retain power. Despite extensive scholarship on political
manipulation, limited attention has been given to the literary representation of such tactics in
contemporary African narratives. By analysing Alimou Sinta’s novel Le sang pour l'alternance
(2021), the research examines how rhetoric, deception, and strategic manoeuvring shape
authoritarian governance. Using Machiavellian theory and discourse analysis, this study
highlights how political personalisation is reinforced through calculated rhetoric and
performative governance. The findings contribute to discussions on authoritarian resilience,
the instrumentalisation of discourse in power retention, and the intersection of literature and
political strategy. By bridging political theory and literary analysis, this research enriches
understandings of dictatorship in Francophone Africa and the broader implications of cunning
discourse in governance.
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Author: Munyangeyo, Théophile
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Global Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences;13;
3;
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Inclusive Society , International Development , International Integration , Cultural Identity , Exile literature , French Language/Literature , Language and/or Literature, Renaissance , Literary Criticism , Literary theory , Literature and cultural history of the Enlightenment , Narrative theoryISSN:
2052-6350Metadata
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