Our Correspondent | Foreign Front
The military takeover in Guinea-Bissau has pushed Africa’s tally of coups and attempted coups to 10 within five years, underscoring a deepening governance crisis across the continent and renewed concerns about democratic backsliding.
From West Africa’s volatile Sahel corridor to the Indian Ocean nation of Madagascar, soldiers have repeatedly seized power, citing insecurity, corruption, flawed elections and political gridlock. Analysts warn that the wave of putsches has created a “new normal” in regions where civilian authority was already fragile.
Below is a recap of the continent’s latest coups and their political implications.
Mali: A Transition Stuck in Limbo
Mali opened the decade’s coup cycle when President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was ousted by army colonels in August 2020. A second putsch followed in May 2021, elevating Colonel Assimi Goïta to power.
Despite pledges to restore civilian rule, elections repeatedly stalled amid escalating jihadist violence. In July 2025, Goïta approved a law granting himself a five-year presidential mandate, renewable without election — a move critics say cements military rule. Since September, jihadist groups have launched a crippling fuel blockade, exposing the junta’s weakened grip.
Guinea: Doumbouya Consolidates Control
In September 2021, mutinous troops led by Lt-Col Mamady Doumbouya overthrew President Alpha Condé.
Doumbouya, who promised a swift transition, formally submitted his presidential candidacy in November 2025 ahead of the 28 December elections, widely viewed as a pivotal test of Guinea’s return to constitutional order.
Sudan: Coup Followed by Devastating War
Sudan’s October 2021 coup, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, collapsed a fragile civilian–military power-sharing deal.
What followed was far worse: a full-scale civil war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohammed Hamdan Daglo.
Tens of thousands have been killed, millions displaced, and aid agencies warn of one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Burkina Faso: Two Coups in One Year
Burkina Faso endured two coups in 2022. First, Lt-Col Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba ousted President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré in January. Nine months later, Damiba himself was removed by younger officers who installed Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
Traoré, initially welcomed by some Burkinabè for pledging security reforms, extended the Transitional Rule by five more years in 2024, despite no elections and relentless Islamist attacks.
Niger: Presidential Guard Seizes Power
On 26 July 2023, Niger’s presidential guard detained and overthrew the elected president, Mohamed Bazoum.
General Abdourahamane Tiani assumed control, later extending the junta’s transition by at least five more years in March 2025 as the country battles expanding jihadist threats along its borders.
Gabon: End of the Bongo Dynasty
Gabon’s coup on 30 August 2023 ended 55 years of Bongo family rule. Troops seized power shortly after President Ali Bongo Ondimba was declared the winner of an election widely denounced as fraudulent.
General Brice Oligui Nguema led the transition and was elected president in April 2025 with 94.85% of the vote under a new constitution — a result critics say reflects entrenched military dominance, not democratic renewal.
Madagascar: Protests Fuel Military Intervention
In October 2025, the military ousted Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina following weeks of massive “Gen Z” anti-government protests over corruption, unemployment and political exclusion.
Colonel Michael Randrianirina was sworn in as transitional president, promising elections within 18 to 24 months. Observers caution that frequent political upheavals have left Madagascar’s democratic institutions vulnerable.
Why Coups Are Surging
Africa’s modern coup wave is driven by a combination of security crises, economic hardship, contested elections, and widespread disenchantment with civilian elites.
The Sahel — stretching across Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea-Bissau — has become the epicentre, with jihadist insurgencies eroding state authority and amplifying military influence.
Regional blocs such as ECOWAS and the African Union have issued strong condemnations but have struggled to reverse the trend. With democratic transitions repeatedly delayed or derailed, political analysts warn of a dangerous rollback of constitutional order across the continent.
As Guinea-Bissau joins the list, the question remains whether Africa is entering a prolonged era of military rule — or whether pressure from citizens and regional governments will eventually turn the tide.