Coup d’Etat
Bénin recently became the latest nation on a growing list of African countries where military officers have attempted to seize control since 2020. The military takeover bid unfolded over several hours on Sunday before authorities declared it had been thwarted.
In a scenario increasingly common across West Africa, a contingent of soldiers appeared on Bénin’s state television on Sunday, proclaiming the ousting of President Patrice Talon and the dissolution of his government following a swift power grab.
Just hours later, Bénin’s Interior Minister, Alassane Seidou, confirmed in an online video that the coup attempt had been successfully foiled. Seidou elaborated that the soldiers involved “launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilizing the state and its institutions,” emphasizing that the armed forces remained “committed to the Republic.”
Below is a chronology of significant military takeovers and coup attempts in Africa, often driven by contested elections, constitutional upheavals, escalating security crises, and widespread youth dissatisfaction:
Mali: august 2020 and may 2021
Since August 2020, Mali has experienced two successive military coups. In the first instance, a faction of soldiers mutinied, detaining senior military officials near Bamako. This occurred following weeks of civilian protests demanding the resignation of President Ibrahim Keïta, who faced accusations of corruption and a failure to address armed group threats.
Colonel Assimi Goïta, the military leader, initially forged a power-sharing arrangement with civilian president Bah Ndaw, with Goïta assuming the role of vice-president in the transitional government. However, in 2021, Goïta orchestrated Ndaw’s overthrow after a series of disputes, subsequently installing himself as president. He then postponed elections originally slated for 2022 until 2027.
Mali is now part of a three-country bloc of landlocked West African nations, alongside Burkina Faso and Niger. These states, currently under military rule, have formed their own alliance after withdrawing from ECOWAS, signaling strong resistance to a swift return to democratic governance.
Chad: april 2021
In 2021, following the death of his father, army general Mahamat Idriss Déby swiftly assumed control, extending a three-decade legacy of family rule in this Central African nation. This marked another significant military takeover on the continent.
Three years subsequent to his ascent to power, Déby conducted the election he had previously pledged. He was declared the victor, a result widely dismissed by the opposition as fraudulent. Since then, he has intensified efforts to suppress dissent. Notably, former Prime Minister Succès Masra, a prominent opposition figure, received a 20-year prison sentence earlier this year.
Guinea: september 2021
After an 11-year tenure, President Alpha Condé was ousted by a group of soldiers led by Mamady Doumbouya. This Guinea coup occurred after Condé had controversially amended the Constitution in 2020, enabling him to pursue a third term in office.
Doumbouya is now set to contend in the December elections, aiming to transition from military to civilian leadership. This follows a recent referendum that permitted junta members to run for office and extended the presidential term from five to seven years.
Sudan: october 2021
The Sudanese army, under the command of General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, executed a coup d’état in October 2021, removing Omar el-Béchir, who had governed the nation for 26 years.
Burhan subsequently entered into a power-sharing arrangement with Muhammad Dangalo, widely known as Hemetti, the leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
However, by April 2023, an underlying rivalry between the two military strongmen erupted into what the United Nations has described as one of the world’s most catastrophic conflicts. The devastating war in Sudan continues to this day.
Burkina Faso: january and september 2022
Mirroring its neighbor Mali, Burkina Faso has also endured two consecutive military takeovers. In January 2022, President Roch Kaboré was deposed by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba. Later that year, in September, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, commander of an artillery unit within the Burkinabe army, overthrew Damiba, citing the same justification as the previous coup: deteriorating security conditions.
Traoré has since assumed leadership of the country. In July, he proceeded to dissolve the independent electoral commission, further consolidating military control.
Niger: july 2023
In a significant military coup in July 2023, General Abdourahamane Tchiani overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, thereby ending a rare period of democratic transition in Niger. This dramatic power seizure triggered a major crisis within ECOWAS, which threatened military intervention if Bazoum was not reinstated and democratic rule restored.
The ensuing regional crisis saw Niger forge an alliance with Burkina Faso and Mali, establishing the Alliance of Sahel States, further solidifying a bloc of military-led nations.
Gabon: august 2023
Shortly after President Ali Bongo, who had been in power for 14 years and was seeking a third term, was declared the victor of the 2023 election, a contingent of soldiers appeared on television to announce their assumption of power. They proceeded to annul the election results and dissolve all state institutions in Gabon.
Brice Oligui Nguema, a cousin of Bongo, subsequently took control and has since governed Gabon. He was later declared the winner of the presidential election held in April.
Madagascar: october 2025
In October 2025, young people in Madagascar took to the streets, voicing their profound frustration over persistent water shortages and electricity outages, demanding the resignation of former President Andry Rajoelina.
Instead of stepping down, Rajoelina dissolved his government, leading to a military power grab in this Southern African nation.
Guinea-Bissau: november 2025
On November 26, 2025, soldiers in Guinea-Bissau seized power following a disputed presidential election held just three days prior. Critics, including the opposition, characterized the coup d’état as a staged power grab designed to prevent the incumbent president’s defeat.
Both outgoing President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and his primary opponent, Fernando Dias, had claimed victory in the November 23 election.
Embaló was subsequently released and permitted to flee to neighboring Sénégal, from where he has since departed. The new military junta proceeded to make appointments, including several individuals aligned with the deposed president.
Bénin: december 2025
Less than two weeks after the events in Guinea-Bissau, soldiers in Bénin executed a similar power seizure following reports of gunfire near the presidential palace. This marked another attempt at a military takeover in Africa.
A faction of soldiers, identifying themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation, appeared on state television to declare that the nation’s leader, Patrice Talon, had been overthrown and state institutions dissolved.
The soldiers then appointed Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri as the chairman of the military committee.
However, within hours, officials announced that the coup attempt had been successfully thwarted by the armed forces, reiterating that the military remained “committed to the Republic.”