Kampala, Uganda – Researchers at the Universities of Witwatersrand and Johannesburg, in South Africa, have explained the spate of military coups in West Africa.

In two seperate studies, they have concluded that socio-economic factors and political instability in Africa are motivating the current wave of military coups on the continent.

On Wednesday last week, the declaration of Mr. Ali Bongo as the winner of a recent election in Gabon was swiftly followed by a surprise broadcast.

A group of soldiers announced their seizure of power in the country, a former French colony.

The internet shutdown imposed by Mr. Bongo’s regime on the eve of the election had been lifted by the new junta later in the day, revealing scenes of celebrating crowds.

Mr. Bongo, who appeared in an online video from his place of confinement, looked bewildered and made an appeal for international support, though the chances of reversing the coup seemed remote.

This coup in the former French colony is not an isolated incident. The overthrow of Mr. Bazoum in Niger on July 26th served as a warning that the “coup-epidemic” in West and Central Africa was not over, reports the BBC.

Prior to this event, Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré had been ousted by soldiers in January of the previous year.

In 2021, West Africa experienced two other coups, with Col Assimi Goïta staging a second military takeover in Mali in May.

Another coup occurred eight months later when his leadership was challenged by lower-ranking counterparts on September 30th.

These events highlight a concerning trend of political instability in the region.

The Researchers

One of the researchers is Gwinyai Regis Taruvinga, from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.

The other two are; George Chimdi Mbara and Suzanne Graham from the University of Johannesburg, also in South Africa.

In separate studies, they have concluded that the resurgence of coups on the continent provides an opportunity to reevaluate conflict prevention mechanisms in Africa.

They argue that governance deficiencies related to escalating insecurity, socio-economic frustrations, and unmet citizenship rights, must be addressed.

“The path forward will require concerted efforts by countries in collaboration with global and regional partners to tackle these complex issues and ensure a return to stable democratic governance in the region,” they recommend.

Their studies are contained in two separate studies titled: The Resurgence of Military Coups in Africa: The Case of West Africa and the Sahel, published  by the journal Palgrave Macmillan, Cham and Dissecting the Impact of Recent Coups in Africa on Democracy and Good Governance published in June by Sabinet African Journals.

Background

In recent years, a disturbing trend of military coups has swept across the West African subcontinent, raising concerns about the region’s democratic stability.

This resurgence of military takeovers harkens back to the 1960s when military coups were a common feature on the African continent, posing a significant threat to the process of democratization.

Although there was a lull in such coups for a period, recent events in countries like Guinea, Sudan, and Burkina Faso indicate a worrying return of the military to power.

West Africa and the Sahel region, in particular, have experienced a disproportionate number of coups compared to other African regions.

To understand this resurgence, experts point to a combination of socio-economic factors and political instability as motivating military interventions.

While these factors play a significant role, there’s also a growing consensus that regional bodies, such as UN, AU, and the ECOWAS, need to act.

Despite sanctions, membership suspensions, and condemnations by international and regional organizations, the wave of military coups in the region continues unabated.

Questions arise regarding the public support for such actions and the varying interpretations of democracy within different African nations.

The Studies

These two recent studies, used a qualitative literature review and thematic content analysis to delve into the root causes of this resurgence, drawing on the theoretical framework of neo-colonialism.

The studies can be accessed via these two links:

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29635-2_9

https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-aa_afren_v20_n2_a6

About The Author

Arinaitwe Rugyendo

The Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ResearchFinds News and a Doctor of Philosophy in Journalism and Communication from Makerere University a credential that anchors his editorial vision in academic rigour and positions ResearchFinds News at the intersection of research and public interest journalism.

An accomplished journalist with over two decades of experience in Uganda’s media industry, Rugyendo has navigated every tier of the newsroom from cab reporter to Bureau Chief, Managing Editor, and Marketing and Digital Media Director at two of the country’s most consequential publications: the Daily Monitor and Red Pepper. At Red Pepper, he helped pioneer a participatory publishing model that transformed how Ugandan journalism related to its audience, a contribution that earned him international recognition and remains a reference point in African media scholarship.

Beyond the newsroom, Rugyendo has been recognised as a Desmond Tutu Fellow and a Crans Montana New Leader — distinctions that reflect his commitment not merely to journalism as a craft but to media as an instrument of social change. He serves as Chairman of Young Engineers Uganda, Uganda’s premier STEM and robotics education organisation, and as Chairman of the Uganda Premier League, demonstrating a leadership span that cuts across education, youth innovation, and sport.

With a PhD now in hand, a practitioner’s instinct sharpened over two decades, and a platform built on the conviction that research belongs in the public domain, Rugyendo is one of Uganda’s most distinctive voices at the intersection of scholarship, journalism, and nation-building.

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