What motivates young Africans to join the military?

In Gabon which was hit by a coup d'état one month ago, joining the ranks of the army in the post-coup era is more than a source of pride for young people. In Cameroon, close to 30,000 youths, 35 percent of them women, have applied to fill 3,000 positions in the Rapid Intervention Battalion, (BIR) and presidential guard. What motivates young Africans to join the military?