Coup Belt

Coup Belt
Geopolitical concept
African countries that have had successful coups between 2020 and 2023
African countries that have had successful coups between 2020 and 2023
ContinentAfrica
SubregionSahel, West Africa and Central Africa
Countries

The Coup Belt (French: la ceinture de coups d'État[1]) is a modern geopolitical concept and neologism which emerged during the 2020s to describe the region of West Africa, Central Africa and the Sahel that is home to countries with a high prevalence of coups d'état.[2][3][4][5] Following the 2023 Nigerien coup, these countries form a continuous chain stretching between the east and west coasts of Africa.[6]

The coups have largely been similar in nature; most came from dissatisfied militaries who criticised their respective government's handling of Islamic insurgents or protests since 2003.[6] Resentment over French military, financial and political influence over African governments has also played a role.[7] The incoming juntas tend to have worse relations with the West, with many seeking support from either Russia and the Wagner Group or Turkey instead of France, which previously helped the countries fight against Islamic insurgents through Operation Barkhane. This led Ukraine to fund opposition groups which in turn caused a proxy war between Russia and Ukraine.[8][9]


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  1. ^ Guibal, Claude (15 August 2023). "Niger : en Afrique, la ceinture des coups d'État redessine la carte du continent". France Info. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  2. ^ Mekki Elmograbi (7 September 2021). "Guinea Joins the African Club of the "Coup Belt"". BL News.
  3. ^ Suleiman, Muhammad Dan (24 September 2021). "Towards a Better Understanding of the Underlying Conditions of Coups in Africa". e-ir.info.com. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Africa's 'coup belt' facing further upheaval". Arab News. 2 February 2022.
  5. ^ Onuah, Felix (5 December 2022). "West African leaders plan peacekeeping force to counter 'coup belt' reputation". Reuters. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Usman, Abubakar (28 September 2023). "France has become the common denominator behind Africa's recent coups". Firoz Lalij Institute for Africa at London School of Economics. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  8. ^ Butenko, Victoria; Elbagir, Nima; Mezzofiore, Gianluca; Qiblawi, Tamara; Goodwin, Allegra; Carey, Andrew; Munsi, Pallabi; Zene, Mahamat Tahir; Arvanitidis, Barbara; Platt, Alex; Baron, Mark; Lauren, Kent (19 September 2023). "Exclusive: Ukraine's special services 'likely' behind strikes on Wagner-backed forces in Sudan, a Ukrainian military source says". CNN. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  9. ^ Walker, Shaun (29 July 2024). "Ukraine military intelligence claims role in deadly Wagner ambush in Mali". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 July 2024.