Africa’s post-colonial landscape has not only been characterized by state-building and development efforts, but the efforts to promote democratic values and governance practices have been part of the new era of freedom since the late 1950s. While these efforts have been quite successful in creating a pathway for the continent’s development agenda, military intervention in politics through coups, especially in West Africa, has infiltrated political spaces on the continent. Data indicates that over 40 coups and attempted coups have occurred in Africa since 2010 and 20 of those coups occurred in the region of West Africa.

This analysis provides an overview of the recent rise in coups in West Africa and the reasons for the rise in popular support for coups, despite the growth of democratic culture since the second wave of Africa’s democratic project emerged in the 1990s. Why are coups becoming popular with ordinary citizens in West Africa, despite the growth in democratic culture of peaceful transfers of political power, is an important element of the debate that seems to be overlooked?

Recent Coups in West Africa: An Overview

The democratic euphoria that swept across the continent in the post-Cold War era after the demise of military regimes and other authoritarian governments gave hope to democratic West Africa. Generally, there has been a decline in coups in the 1990s and 2000s as compared to the 1970s and 1980s due to the popular support of democratic reforms and good governance practices since the 1990s. As underscored by some studies, a decade before 2021, on average, saw less than one successful coup per year in Africa. While coups are certainly not to be celebrated, the decline in coups has been encouraging, but the recent rise in coups in West Africa is creating apprehension for many observers.

In just two years, West Africa witnessed a significant rise in coups in countries such as Burkina Faso, Sudan, Guinea, Chad, and Mali. For a third time in only five months, “political violence facilitated a transfer of power in West Africa, with Guinea, Mali (twice in the past thirteen months), and Chad”. The rash of coups in the region is showing no signs of slowing down given the attempted coup that occurred in Guinea-Bissau in February of 2022. While the increase in coups has kept many experts thinking about the worsening security situation in the region, others are also concerned about the democratic backsliding in West Africa.

Why the Rise in Military Coups?

As earlier stated, military coups have been on the decline in many parts of Africa since the 1990s. However, there has been a rise in coups and attempted coups within the last two years. While the rising coup d’états have become a source of worry given the global rise of authoritarian regimes, many are also concerned for West Africa, because of the threats to the region’s three decades of democratic gains. The question of interest is: Why the rise in these coups? This paper addresses this question from three standpoints.