Authoritarian Regimes & Africa

AfricaBénin’s government thwarts coup attempt amid west african instabilityGunfire was reported in the economic capital, and soldiers were seen blocking access to the presidential palace.Agence France-Presse In CotonouArticleWhy trust Le Devoir ?Béninese authorities announced Sunday they had successfully thwarted an attempted coup d'état aimed at overthrowing President Patrice Talon. The president assured the nation that the situation was "totally under control," with the West African bloc CEDEAO committing military support.This attempted takeover occurs just months before President Talon's scheduled departure, having served two terms leading the small West African nation. Bénin, while experiencing robust economic growth, has been contending with jihadist violence in its northern regi...

The Global Initiative Against Impunity (GIAI), a coalition including the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CCPI), Redress, Trial International, and Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice (WIGJ), has expressed strong disapproval of the decision by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to withdraw from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). This move represents a significant retreat from the historic leadership African nations have shown in the global fight against impunity. It threatens to weaken the foundations of international justice at a time when global solidarity is essential. Legal timelines and ongoing obligations While the three members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) announced an "immediate" de...

Mali's escalating crisis: sexual violence rises in displacement camps 1 juillet 2025 Femmes As instability and forced displacement persist across central and northern Mali, women face increasingly severe risks of gender-based violence, an urgent warning from a United Nations agency highlights. In a report detailing findings from a survey conducted last May, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN agency dedicated to sexual and reprod...

The Sahel has largely vanished from global headlines. Over the last few years, the international geopolitical landscape has shifted dramatically. Since 2022, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has pulled European focus toward the East. In 2023, the renewed intensity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict captured the world's gaze. Meanwhile, the resurgence of rebel activity in the eastern République démocratique du Congo and the disruptive impact of the Trump administration on international norms have dominated the news cycle. Yet, while the world looks elsewhere, the decade-long crises ravaging the Sahel are only intensifying. Military regimes that seized power during the region's recent wave of coups promised to wipe out jihadist insurgency. That promise remains unfulfilled. Instead, e...

The military takeover in Niger on July 26, orchestrated by General Abdourahamane Tiani, which deposed President Mohamed Bazoum, marks the latest in a troubling wave of such events sweeping across the Sahel. This incident brings the total number of coups in the region to seven since 2020. What distinguishes this particular power grab are the unprecedented reactions from both regional and global stakeholders, characterized by a mix of intense condemnation, profound division, and strategic confusion. This event carries significantly higher international stakes and potentially greater perils than its predecessors. It could very well signify a critical turning point for security dynamics, governance structures, multilateral cooperation, and the broader landscape of international relations acros...

Africa Escalating human rights concerns: un urges Sahel armies to uphold international law Allegations of severe human rights violations, including enforced disappearances and summary executions, are increasingly being leveled against military personnel from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. These forces are actively engaged in counter-jihadist operations across the Sahel region, prompting significant concern from the United Nations. During a Security Council videoconference focused on the Sahel, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, emphatically stated on Friday, "I urge the G5 Sahel Joint Force and its member states to spare no effort" in upholding human rights. This growing apprehension has been consistently voiced for sever...