Several coups and military takeovers have hit the subregion over the last 24 months, raising questions about the capacity of both the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to promote democracy and peace.
In recent times, we have witnessed 8 coups d’état in the last 3 years in Africa.
For our subregion, West Africa, the bloc has been marked since 2020 by 2 coups in Mali, two in Burkina Faso, one in Guinea and one in Niger.
Including, some unconstitutional amendments such as the one that occurred in Togo last year to establish a parliamentary regime.
Blocs like ECOWAS and regional institutions like the African Union are known for their principled condemnations and other actions aimed at restoring constitutional order.