Democracy Now! – Feb 8, 2022
The African Union is condemning a wave of coups in Africa, where military forces have seized power over the past 18 months in Mali, Chad, Guinea, Sudan and, most recently, in January, Burkina Faso. Several were led by U.S.-trained officers as part of a growing U.S. military presence in the region under the guise of counterterrorism, which is a new imperial influence that supplements the history of French colonialism, says Brittany Meché, assistant professor at Williams College. Some coups have been met with celebration in the streets, signaling armed revolt has become the last resort for people dissatisfied with unresponsive governments. “Between the U.S.-led war on terror and the wider international community’s fixation on security, this is a context that centers, if not privileges, military solutions to political problems,” adds Samar Al-Bulushi, contributing editor for Africa Is a Country.
See related:
- “A Forgotten Conflict”: Sahrawi Activists Slam Moroccan Greenwashing Amid Western Sahara Occupation
- Why are so many coups happening in Africa? – BBC Africa
- West Africa becomes terror hotspot as U.S. scales back military presence
- Is a military solution in West Africa the only way out? | Inside Story
- What makes West Africa fertile ground for military coups | DW News
- Is a military solution in West Africa the only way out? | Inside Story
- Mali withdraws from West Africa military alliance
- “A Complex and Devastating Crisis”: Burkina Faso Sees Second Military Coup This Year
- Why extremist militias are on the rise in the West African Sahel | DW News
- Violence in West Africa puts neighbors under pressure | DW News
- Coup after coup: After Mali, pro-Russia sentiment stoked in Burkina Faso • FRANCE 24 English
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