From Mali to Benin: Africa faces surge of coups as unrest spreads
A series of coups and attempts has reshaped politics across Africa, toppling leaders, testing militaries and raising regional stability concerns.
Between 2020 and 2025, Africa experienced a wave of coups, beginning in Mali, where President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was ousted in 2020, followed by another power shift in 2021.
Around the same period, the Central African Republic faced an attempted takeover by the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC) rebels.
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In Chad, power passed to Mahamat Idriss Déby after the death of his father, President Idriss Déby, in 2021.
By 2023, coups had toppled governments in Niger and Gabon: Niger’s Presidential Guard removed President Mohamed Bazoum, while Gabon’s military annulled disputed election results and placed President Ali Bongo under house arrest.
In 2025, unrest spread further, with Madagascar experiencing two military takeovers within weeks, and Guinea-Bissau facing an attempted coup marked by clashes near government sites.
The most recent incident occurred in Benin on December 7, 2025, when soldiers briefly seized state television and claimed to have ousted President Patrice Talon, before loyal forces regained control.
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