Military coups have become a regular occurrence in Africa for decades since the continent gained independence in the 1950’s.
Africa has more attempted coups than any other continent. The most recent is the usurped of Niger Republic with military guards sealing off access to the presidential office in the capital and the residence of the president Mohamed Bazoum, who was democratically elected in 2021.
Studies identified more than 200 attempted coups in Africa since the late 1950's. West and central African countries have the most military coups because of racial and ethnic rifts that provide a favorable environment, as well as the fragile security and political structure of involved states.
The economic implications of military coups in African go beyond the internal and regional levels into the global arena. Political and security stability in Africa continues to be the only way for establishing strong and promising economies that take serious steps towards development.
The past few years have witnessed both successful and unsuccessful coup d’états in West and Central African countries such as Mali, Chad, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, and Sudan. Despite international and regional organisations, such as the United Nations (UN), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the African Union (AU) imposing sanctions, suspending memberships, and condemning this worrying trend, they have not been able to avert the wave of military coups in the region.
THE RISING WAVE OF UNCONSTITUTIONAL POWER GRAB IN AFRICA IS A PANDEMIC HINDERING NATIONAL AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS SPONSORED BY EXTERNAL FORCES IN ORDER TO HAVE ACCESS TO CHEAP RESOURCES AND CONTROL- HON. AMB. PRINCE SAMUEL EGUNJOBI EGUNJOBI
Mali (August 2020): The Malian military seized control over controversial unrest following the parliamentary election in which former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was ousted. This left a military-led government in power. The government’s mismanagement of insurgencies, alleged government corruption, the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and a floundering economy were the principal reasons for the coup.
Chad (April 2021): Former President Idriss Deby was assassinated while visiting troops in Northern Chad fighting the rebel group Front for Change and Concord in Chad. His son, Army General Mahamat Idriss Deby was quickly installed in his place, in a blatant power grab which was in violation of the Constitution.
Guinea (September 2021): Mamady Doumbouya, a United States-trained Special Forces commander lead a coup against former President Alpha Conde. He claimed to have acted in public interest, following years of poverty, endemic corruption, and against a controversial constitutional amendment that allowed Alpha Conde to be elected for a third election term.
Sudan (October 2021): The Sudanese military, led by its General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan seized power, by tearing up a power-sharing deal with former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, that was meant to lead Sudan to its first free election in decades.
Burkina Faso (January 2022): Led by military leader Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, the former President Roch Kabore was detained by soldiers and his government was overthrown and dissolved. The justification given for the coup d’états was Roch Kabore’s faliure to contain the growing Islamist insurgency and address citizen’s concerns. The mutinous soldiers demanded better means and support to fight the militants and the removal of defence chiefs
Guinea Bissau (February 2022): There was a failed putsch in Guinea Bissau, a coastal state in West Africa. Despite being one of Africa’s smallest country, it has become a giant in the drugs and narcotics trade due to which it suffers from endemic corruption and has been mired in chronic political instability
The conclusion is that military coups in Africa have a negative impact not only on the involved countries, but also on the whole continent. The impact spreads beyond the continent to also hit the global economy and markets by significant rises in the prices of oil, minerals and agricultural crops. This eventually causes waves of global inflation.
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