Will West Africa and the Sahel see more political turbulence after recent coups? MPs to question regional experts
On Tuesday 12 September at 2.30pm, the Foreign Affairs Committee will question experts on the consequences of recent coups in West Africa and the Sahel region.
Meeting details
Since 2020, the region has seen six coups, including the removal of elected presidents in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and most recently Niger.
MPs will consider the potential underlying causes of this instability, with some analysts pointing to climate change, political instability, poor governance, high unemployment and poverty. MPs will ask whether political instability could spread further throughout West Africa, with elections scheduled for Liberia and Mali in October this year, and Senegal in February 2024.
The Committee is likely to also explore whether the Sahel region – which stretches across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Eritrea – is experiencing democratic backsliding, and the implications of the coups on efforts to counter terrorism in the Sahel.