The July 26 coup in Niger is not an isolated event. Rather, it represents the recent resurgence of military coups that have plagued Africa, especially West Africa and Sudan. Since 2020, Africa has recorded seven successful coups and three unsuccessful coups. Some of these have occurred in the same countries notably, Mali and Burkina Faso.
The resurgence of military coups is rooted in a combination of triggers and proximate and structural factors that require examination.
Typically, official condemnations and the suspensions of membership from the African Union (AU) and relevant regional economic communities (RECs) have often characterised regional responses. The recent coup in Niger marked a slight departure from the customary responses from regional organisations.
On July 28, Ecowas (the Economic Community of West African States) under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria issued a com- munique condemning the
