In Brief: A Wave of Coups in Africa

A lot happens every day. Alliances shift, leaders change, and conflicts erupt. With In Brief, we’ll help you make sense of it all. Each week, experts will dig deep on a single issue happening in the world to help you better understand it. *** The coup in Gabon on August 30, 2023, marked the eighth successful military coup in sub-Saharan Africa since 2020, primarily in Francophone countries. These coups come as Russia continues to establish itself as a security guarantor on the continent – even in the wake of Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death – and Chinese investment in Africa