What You Need to Know
Over the past five years, Africa has witnessed a surge in military coups, with ten significant events reshaping the political landscape. Countries like Mali, Guinea, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gabon, and Madagascar have experienced dramatic changes in leadership, often amid civil unrest and promises of future elections. This summary highlights the key events and their implications for stability.
Africa. With the military’s takeover in Guinea-Bissau, the number of coups in the troubled African continent has risen to ten in five years. Here’s a summary of these coups:
Mali
In Mali, five army colonels ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in August 2020. In May 2021, the Malian army took power from the civilian leaders of the transitional government, with Colonel Assimi Goïta, who led both coups, sworn in as transitional president.
After promising to hold elections in February 2024, the army postponed them indefinitely, citing the violence from jihadists plaguing the country.
In July 2025, Goïta enacted a law granting him a five-year presidential term, renewable without elections.
Guinea
On September 5, 2021, rebel forces led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya seized power in Guinea, detaining President Alpha Condé.
Doumbouya announced his candidacy in early November 2025 ahead of the December 28 elections aimed at restoring constitutional order.
Sudan
After weeks of tension between military and civilian leaders who shared power following the ousting of President Omar al-Bashir, the armed forces, led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, executed a new coup on October 25, 2021.
Since April 2023, a war has erupted between the regular armed forces led by Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces led by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and has caused one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso experienced two military coups in 2022. In January of that year, rebel soldiers led by Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba arrested President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.
In September of the same year, army officers announced Damiba’s dismissal, and Captain Ibrahim Traoré became the transitional president, but the promised elections were not held. In May 2024, the military council allowed him to remain for another five years in a country torn by violence.
Niger
On July 26, 2023, members of the presidential guard ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, elected in 2021. General Abdourahamane Tiani, head of the presidential guard, took power.
In March 2025, the military council extended its transitional leadership of the violence-stricken country for at least five more years.
Gabon
In Gabon, ruled by the Bongo family for 55 years, army officers ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba on August 30, 2023, less than an hour after he was declared the winner of an election that the opposition called fraudulent. General Brice Oligui Nguema was appointed as the transitional president.
In April 2025, Nguema was elected president with 94.85% of the votes and took the oath of office based on a new constitution approved in a referendum during the transitional period.
Madagascar
In October 2025, the army ousted President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar, seizing power after weeks of anti-government protests led by the ‘Generation Z’ movement.
Colonel Michael Randrianirina was sworn in as the new president of Madagascar, promising to hold elections within 18 to 24 months.
The trend of military coups in Africa has historical roots, often linked to political instability, economic challenges, and social unrest. In recent years, the continent has seen a resurgence of military takeovers, reflecting deep-seated issues within various nations, including governance failures and public discontent. The international community remains concerned about the implications of these coups for democracy and human rights in the region.
