West Africa: Coups in West Africa Have Five Things in Common – Knowing What They Are Is Key to Defending Democracy
August 2025 makes it five years since Malian soldiers ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in a coup d’état. While the event reshaped Mali’s domestic politics, it also marked the beginning of a broader wave of military takeovers that swept parts of Africa between 2020 and 2023. Soldiers have toppled governments in Niger, Burkina Faso (twice),…