Africa continues to face significant challenges regarding political stability. Recent events in Guinea-Bissau, where the military seized power, mark the tenth coup d’état on the continent in the last five years. This troubling trend underscores the fragility of democratic institutions in several African nations.
Mali: In August 2020, a group of army colonels ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. A subsequent coup in May 2021 saw the military consolidate its power, with Colonel Assimi Goita, the leader of both coups, being sworn in as transitional president. Despite initial promises of elections in February 2024, the military postponed the vote indefinitely, citing ongoing violence. In July 2025, Goita approved legislation granting himself a five-year presidential term, renewable without elections.
Guinea: On September 5, 2021, rebel forces led by Lieutenant Colonel Mamady Doumbouya seized power, arresting President Alpha Conde. Doumbouya put forth his candidacy in early November 2025 ahead of elections on December 28, intended to restore constitutional order.
Sudan: Following weeks of tension between military and civilian leaders sharing power after the ousting of President Omar al-Bashir, the armed forces, led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, staged a coup on October 25, 2021. Since April 2023, a devastating conflict has raged between the regular armed forces under Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Burkina Faso: Burkina Faso experienced two military coups in 2022. In January, mutinous soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba arrested President Roch Marc Christian Kabore. In September of the same year, army officers announced Damiba’s removal, and Captain Ibrahim Traoré became the transitional president. Elections that he promised have yet to occur. In May 2024, the military council permitted him to remain for another 5 years in a country torn by violence.
Niger: July 26…
