A sad record ranks Africa among the most unstable continents since World War II. The coup attempt that is taking place right now in Gabon is indeed the 146th since 1945 and the vast decolonization movement of the 1960s. According to our counts, 41 African countries have experienced at least one attempt. serious overthrow of power.
Around the world, about seven out of ten coups take place in Africa. Of the 146 coups, 37 failed, a 75% success rate suggesting that attempting to overthrow power often pays off… In our calculations, we have excluded mutinies or plots that were foiled before they started , as in Djibouti in February 2022.
Egypt inaugurates this long series when, on the night of July 22 to 23, 1952, Nasser overthrows the monarchy of King Farouk I, fortunately without bloodshed. It was not until 1958 that the continent’s second coup d’état took place: it took place in Sudan on November 17, when the army prevented Parliament from sitting and brought General Ibrahim Abboud to power. The Republic of Sudan had obtained its independence on January 1, 1958. Particular fact: it was the Prime Minister, Abdallah Khalil, a retired general, who planned this military coup against his own coalition government…
Sudan has since held the record for putsches with 10 overthrows or attempts, the last dating back to October 25, 2021, when the Sudanese army deposed the transitional government. Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok was arrested, then reinstated on November 21, before stepping down on January 2, 2022.
Sudan precedes two other specific eruptive countries: Burundi, 8 coups or attempts, since its independence on July 1, 1962, tied with Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta), independent since August 1960. That is approximately an average a coup or attempt every seven to eight years. Among the most unstable countries are also Nigeria (7 coups), Congo, Benin (6), Central African Republic (6), Chad (6), Comoros (5), Ghana (5 ), Mali (5), Guinea-Bissau (5), Ethiopia (4), Uganda (4)…
Niger, which is in the news these days, with the overthrow and kidnapping of President Mohamed Bazoum, is in its 6th putsch or attempt since its independence on December 18, 1958. The first putsch took place on April 15, 1974 , when Seyni Kountché took power by arms with the title of “President of the Supreme Military Council of the Republic of Niger”. He exercised, de facto, the function of head of state until his death in November 1987.
Among the countries that have not experienced a coup is South Africa, where the transition to the end of apartheid was smooth. Malawi has not experienced a coup as the Constitution in 1970 was amended to give Hastings Kamuzu Banda the title of “President for Life”. The regime became a dictatorship, but Banda had to leave power in 1994 at the venerable age of 98, not without being defeated in free elections.
If we cut the periods by decades, the prize goes to the seventies, with 34 coups or attempts, under the effect of the Cold War. The 1960s and 1980s culminated in 25 putschs or attempts. After the 1980s, there was a decline: 19 in the 1990s and 17 in the 2000s, 15 in the 2010s. Since 2020, in just three and a half years, the blows to power have already amounted to 10. Everything points to a new phase of instability in Africa.