After years of democratic expansion, military coups are back — and increasingly tolerated. From Africa’s Sahel to Southeast Asia, generals are seizing review Naga169 power amid weak institutions, economic crises, and waning international pressure.
Since 2020, more than a dozen coups have occurred worldwide, including in Myanmar, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Gabon. Many of these juntas justify their actions as responses to corruption, terrorism, or foreign interference.
In West Africa, frustration with Western policies has fueled anti-French sentiment, giving rise to nationalist and pro-Russian narratives. Niger’s 2023 coup effectively ended France’s counterterrorism presence in the Sahel. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) threatened sanctions but faced limited leverage.
The trend reflects deeper global shifts. As major powers focus inward, coup leaders face fewer consequences. Russia’s Wagner Group and China’s neutral stance have created new patronage networks for regimes shunned by the West.
Yet the aftermath of these coups rarely delivers stability. Economies collapse, humanitarian crises deepen, and democratic backsliding spreads. “This is a crisis of governance, not ideology,” says African Union adviser Paulin M’Baye.
The resurgence of military rule underscores a troubling reality: democracy’s global retreat is no longer hypothetical — it’s unfolding in real time.
