Military coups and political instability in Africa

In September 2022 members of the Burkinabé armed forces toppled the country's military junta, initiating a new period of military rule in the country. The incident was the latest in a wave of military takeovers that have been occurring in Africa since 2019.

After compiling a variety of Janes data sources and analysing the trends occurring across the region, Janes has identified the underlying factors causing military coups and provides insight into the countries at greatest risk of a coup d'état going forward. This briefing covers a number of countries that have helped to shape our understanding of military coup risk, including Burkina Faso, Chad, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.