Recent African coups d’état
World leaders condemned an attempted coup in Niger, calling for President Mohamed Bazoum - a key Western ally - to be released. Seven coups since 2020 threaten sub-Saharan stability

SAHARA DESERT
MAURITANIA
MALI
NIGER 
CHAD
SUDAN
NIGERIA
SAHEL
Niamey
ERITREA
GUINEA
BURKINA FASE
1 2 3 4 5 6 

AFRICA

1 Niger, Jul 26, 2023: Presidential guard members detain President Mohamed Bazoum (right) inside palace in Niamey. Elected in February 2021, President Bazoum has Western support in the fight against violent extremism, corruption and widespread poverty

2-3 Mali, Aug 2020: President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita ousted. Second coup by Col. Assimi Goïta
in May 2021. French and UN peacekeepers expelled – Russian Wagner Group deployed. Reports of summary executions

4 Chad, Apr 2021: Military takes control following death of President Idriss Deby after 30 years of rule. Deby’s son Mahamat Idriss Deby declared president. Deadly protests follow amid demands for civilian rule

5 Guinea, Sep 2021: Mamady Doumbouya ousts President
Alpha Conde. After promising
democratic reforms, Col. Doumbouya and fellow coup leaders arrest opposition leaders and restrict media freedom

6 Sudan, Oct 2021: Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan arrests civilian prime minister Abdalla Hamdok and other political leaders just two years after Sudan began transition to full civilian rule

7 Burkina Faso, Jan 2022: Army ousts President Roch Kabore (right). Following second putsch in September, junta leader Capt. Ibrahim Traore seizes power. In July 2023, U.S. sanctions Malian officials over allegations they have deployed Wagner mercenaries

Sources: Africa News, Bloomberg, Foreign Policy, Reuters Pictures: Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS