Assessing the Drivers of Coups in West Africa

Over the past year, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has undergone three successful coups among its member states, prompting fears of a potential shift back to the political instability that marked many post-independence African governments. While driven by a variety of factors, the coups in Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali appeared to share key similarities. Namely, these were instances where younger officers successfully identified that elevated levels of anti-government sentiment would provide them cover to act against their governments and secure advancement. The podcast will examine this phenomenon and highlight the ways in which the military juntas that have developed from these coups now act as a source of inspiration and support for other military governments and outline the challenge this trend creates for the region.

In this week's podcast, join our Lead Middle East & Africa Analyst Eloise Scott, along with Benedict Manzin our Lead Sub Sahara Africa Analyst, and Edie Lipton our Associate Analyst, as we discuss the drivers behind Coups in West Africa.