Paris:
The turbulent continent of Africa has experienced eight coups since August 2020, after army officers in Gabon ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba on Wednesday.
A timeline:
2023: Gabon
President Bongo, whose family has ruled Gabon for 55 years, is declared the winner of the August 26 elections that the opposition claimed were fraudulent.
Moments later, army officers appear on national television to announce the dissolution of state institutions and the closure of national borders.
Bongo is placed under house arrest and General Brice Oligui Nguema is named transitional president.
2023: Nigeria
On July 26, 2023, members of the presidential guard overthrow Niger’s 2021 president-elect, Mohamed Bazoum. General Abdourahamane Tiani, head of the Presidential Guard, takes over.
On August 10, the West African regional bloc ECOWAS approves the deployment of a preparedness force “to restore constitutional order”, but is still seeking a diplomatic solution.
Niger’s new military ruler is proposing a transitional period of up to three years to return power to civilians.
2022: Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso suffered two military coups last year.
In January 2022, mutinous soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba arrest President Roch Marc Christian Kabore.
On September 30, army officers announce that they have fired Damiba. Captain Ibrahim Traore will be transitional president until new presidential elections are scheduled for July 2024.
2021: Sudan
After weeks of tension between the military and civilian leaders who had shared power since the ouster of dictator Omar al-Bashir, the armed forces led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan staged a new coup on October 25.
On April 15, 2023, war breaks out between Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, killing at least 5,000 people.
2021: Guinea
In September, mutinous troops led by Lieutenant Colonel Mamady Doumbouya seize power in Guinea and arrest 83-year-old President Alpha Conde.
Doumbouya has pledged to return power to elected citizens by the end of 2024.
2020, 2021: Mali
Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is to be impeached in August 2020.
In May 2021, the Malian army will take over again after the civilian leaders of an interim government removed soldiers from some key posts.
Colonel Assimi Goita, who led both coups, has pledged to hold free elections in February 2024.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is published through a syndicated feed.)
