Top 10 African countries with the most number of attempted coup

Powell and Thyne defined a coup as an “illegal and overt attempt by the military or other elites within the state apparatus to unseat the sitting executive.”

According to this definition, a coup d’état involves a sudden and often violent overthrow of a sitting executive, carried out by individuals or groups with formal connections to the national government. This excludes broader movements aimed at toppling an entire government, such as rebellions or mass protests, which are led by those outside the power structure.

There have been several coups in Africa in the past two years, with incidents recorded in Mali (twice), Chad, Guinea, Sudan, Tunisia, and, arguably, Algeria and Burundi. The most recent one was in Niger in July 2023. These coups have been a challenge to civilian-led democratic governance in Africa.

Out of the 486 attempted or successful military coups carried globally since 1950, Africa accounts for the largest number with 214, of which at least 106 have been successful and 108 recorded as failed. Out of 54 countries on the African continent, 45 have had at least one coup attempt since 1950, according to data collected by Powell and Thyne.

Other regions which also accounted for several coup attempts include Latin America – 146 attempted coups, 70 successful and 76 failed. Asia pacific region accounted for 47 attempted coup with 27 successful and 22 failed.

The Middle east accounted for 44 attempted coup, 21 successful and 23 failed.

Europe recorded 17 attempted coups, 8 were successful and 9 recorded as failed coups, South Asia came in last position with 16 attempted coup, 10 successful and 6 failed.

According to data by Powell and Thyne, the following African countries presented in the table witnessed the most coup plot attempts from 1950 till date.

The African Union Peace and Security Council has attempted to define and investigate why coups happened in Africa.

In a statement the body issued in 2014, it noted that unconstitutional government changes often originate from “deficiencies in governance” along with “greed, selfishness, mismanagement of diversity, mismanagement of opportunity, marginalization, abuse of human rights, refusal to accept electoral defeat, manipulation of constitution[s], as well as unconstitutional review of constitution[s] to serve narrow interests and corruption.”

Africa has long struggled with political instability, and the recent surge in coups – including Niger, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Guinea, and Mali – suggests that the trend is unlikely to reverse anytime soon, with disgruntled military officers likely to continue seizing power in the foreseeable future.