The coup that occurred in Niger on 26 July was the latest example of a resurgent trend for them in Africa, especially in the Sahel and the continent’s west.
Since 2020, there have also been coups in Mali, Sudan, Guinea-Conakry, Burkina Faso, and Guinea-Bissau.
If their leaders – including those in Niger – manage to consolidate their power, it could amount to a significant geopolitical shift, one that may pose a considerable threat to French interests and weaken the influence of the wider Western powers in Africa.
It could also jeopardise efforts to combat terrorism in the region. The display of Russian flags by coup supporters in Niger’s capital, Niamey, indicates Russian involvement through the Wagner Group, which is active in about 10 African countries.
This makes the Niger coup a critical development in the reshaping of the strategic landscape in this vital region. Its implications may extend into neighbouring countries.
It can be seen as confirmation of France and the West's diminishing position in the international competition for influence in Africa and access to the resources and opportunities of the continent.
Nation-states in crisis in Africa
The resurgence of coups in recent years underscores the crisis of nation-states in Africa and their failure to put an end to this means of transferring power. Since the continent's liberation from colonialism in the late 1950s and early 1960s, there have been approximately 205 attempted coups.