Sahel Military Coups
2023 Jul 26Three Coups, One Anti-Western Bloc
On July 26, 2023, Niger's presidential guard overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum — the third Sahel coup in three years (Mali 2020-2021, Burkina Faso 2022). The three juntas formed the Alliance of Sahel States and expelled French military forces.
France's departure ended a decade of counterterrorism that failed. Operation Barkhane deployed 5,100 troops; jihadist violence increased throughout. Local populations viewed France as neocolonial, extracting uranium and securing interests.
Russia filled the vacuum through Wagner (later Africa Corps), offering security without governance conditions. The trade-off: regime survival for mining concessions and geopolitical alignment.
The Sahel coups rejected the post-colonial security architecture. African military officers concluded Western partnerships had produced neither security nor development, choosing instead to gamble on alternative patrons. When protection costs more than security delivers, which patrons prevail?