Africa has been plagued by a series of coups over the past three years, with the latest one occurring in Gabon on Wednesday. Since August 2020, the continent has witnessed a total of seven coups, indicating a concerning trend.
In Niger, President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown by the military on July 26, 2023, and General Abdourahamane Tiani assumed power. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has expressed its intention to deploy a regional force to restore constitutional order in Niger.
Burkina Faso has also experienced political instability, with two coups taking place within eight months. President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré was ousted in January 2022, followed by the dismissal of Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba in September of the same year.
Sudan, which was supposed to transition towards democracy, faced a military takeover on October 25, 2021, leading to a power struggle and a devastating war. Guinea and Mali have also witnessed political upheaval, with military coups resulting in new leaders and promises to return power to elected civilians in the future.
The frequency of these coups raises concerns about the stability and democratic progress of the affected countries.
The soldiers who led coups in these countries claimed “theft” and “bad governance” triggered their actions.
The recent series of coups in Africa has raised concerns among Nigerians about the stability and democratic progress of their own country. Nigeria has a history of military coups, with several occurring in the past, leading to periods of military rule.
However, the Nigerian government has stated that the era of military takeovers is over and that they are committed to democratic governance.
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