The African nation of Gabon is the latest to experience a military coup. It’s not that Saharan and Sub-Saharan African countries are strangers to sudden, often violent, takeovers by their own armed forces. Still, it does seem there is a more frequent spate of such behavior recently. More curious is the fact that the Biden foreign policy team appears surprised or, at least, ill-prepared to intervene or help negotiate a peaceful solution. The turbulent leadership changes have moved from an elected, quasi-democratic governments to an autocratic assumption of power by military leadership.
Recently, the White House dispatched Vice President Kamala Harris to reach out to African nations as a follow-up to the December 2022 US-Africa Leaders Summit that ended without much fanfare or demonstrable accomplishments. Harris’ sojourn in the African continent was equally lackluster. Seven African governments have experienced unplanned leadership changes during the Biden administration’s tenure. Sudan’s hostilities have continued, while others like Niger, Gabon, Guinea, Chad, Burkina Faso, and Mali were restored to relative calm after the coups. Some of the mutinies have been more dramatic than others, but for the most part, the democratic process has been the victim.
Coup After Coup Seems the Rule
The violence and murderous rampages between competing factions in Sudan that started in early Spring continue apace with no satisfactory end. America was hapless in its efforts to avoid the carnage, resulting in “two factions led by Sudan Army generals engage in pitched battles,” as Liberty Nation reported. While the fighting raged, the US struggled to get American citizens out of the country and to safety, reminiscent of the Afghanistan withdrawal debacle. This time, the US State Department approached the problem with more candor. Foggy Bottom told American citizens living and working in Sudan that they were on their own and “should have no expectation of a US Government coordinated evacuation.” Though the fate and whereabouts of many Americans were in doubt, most made it to other countries or safe places “on their own.”
Not long after Sudan broke into internecine warfare, Niger was rocked by a military coup deposing the democratically elected Mohamed Bazoum. The excuse the military mutineers gave for toppling the newly ensconced government was that it was not dealing effectively with insurgents threatening the country. In a soon-to-be-published account of the coup, Liberty Nation will look more deeply at the overthrow of Bazoum Mohammed and his fledgling government and what it means to US national security.
(Photo by: Desirey Minkoh/Afrikimages Agency/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Most recently in Gabon, following an election, the opposition party came on state television to announce the election was null. Reuters reported the election was voided by the mutineers just “minutes after President Ali Bongo was declared to have won a third term…If successful the coup would represent the eighth since 2020 in West and Central Africa.” Fairly typical for the genesis of such government takeovers, the issue was about retaining power and exploiting the country’s wealth. Having lost the election, the opposition leader was accused of instigating the coup to retain control in the oil-rich region. Keeping in mind that Bongo beat his opponent by 30 points, “Soldiers toppled President Ali Bongo Ondimba and put him under house arrest, accusing him of irresponsible governance that risked leading the country into chaos,” Associated Press reported. As for the US State Department, “The United States is deeply concerned by evolving events in Gabon. We remain strongly opposed to military seizures or unconstitutional transfers of power,” spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a Foggy Bottom press statement. The situation in Gabon remains unclear.
Lack of Security Leads to a Coup
Last year in January, the Burkina Faso government fell to an army takeover when the military blamed the sitting president Roch Kabore for not stopping Islamic jihadists. The actions of the mutiny leader, Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba, followed months of unrest and dissatisfaction with Kabore’s handling of an incursion into the northern village of Solhan in June 2021, where militants from Mali killed 100 people. “The Solhan attack prompted opposition protests in the capital, forcing Mr. Kaboré to reshuffle his government and appoint himself defense minister,” the BBC reported. The action, however, was not enough to save his government.
The African nation of Chad’s armed forces seized power in April 2021 when rebels killed President Idriss Deby while he was visiting Chadian troops fighting in the north. Claiming to want to ensure stability in the country, a military council dissolved parliament and named Deby’s son, General Mahamat Idriss Deby, as interim president, despite Chad’s laws governing succession dictating the speaker of parliament should become president. An 18-month transition to free elections will follow, according to press reports.
Alpha Conde (Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The September 2021 ousting of President Alpha Conde in Guinea resulted from protests over Conde attempting to change Guinea’s constitution to allow him a third term. Widespread rioting ensued, and ultimately, the special forces commander, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, booted Conde, made himself president, and promised free elections in three years.
Mali had a second coup in roughly a year when Assimi Goita, serving as interim vice president, ousted interim president Bah Ndaw. The reason for the coup was anti-government protests, lack of security, and allegations of government corruption. Mali will hold a presidential election in February 2024 and transition to a constitutional government with democratic elections.
The geopolitical turbulence in Africa should be worrisome to the Biden administration. Unstable African states open the door to mischief from US peer competitors like China and Russia. However, where coups take place to re-establish more effective security against Islamic militants and terrorist organizations, the US would benefit from new government leadership. But left to follow their bliss without US influence, what emerges from these nascent states is anyone’s guess.
