Explainer | Gabon and other recent coups in west and central Africa
- Military takeover in Gabon follows a coup in Niger in July, the eighth since 2020 in west and central Africa
- A series of coups have challenged governments with ties to France, the region’s former coloniser
If successful the coup would represent the eighth since 2020 in west and central Africa, a region that in the last decade had made strides to shed its reputation as a “coup belt”, only for persistent insecurity and corruption to open the door to military leaders.
Here is a list of some recent coups:
Niger
In July 2023, members of Niger’s presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum inside his palace and appeared on national television saying they were seizing power to end the “deteriorating security situation and bad governance”.
Days later the junta declared the head of the presidential guard, Abdourahamane Tiani, the new head of state, raising concerns about the security of a region where Niger has been a key ally of Western powers seeking to contain insurgencies by groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State.
The main West African bloc ECOWAS has been trying to negotiate with the coup leaders but said it was ready to send troops into Niger to restore constitutional order if diplomatic efforts failed.
Niger has authorised Mali and Burkina Faso’s armed forces to intervene on its territory in case of an attack.