Africa’s ‘Coup Belt’ is a Problem for the West

EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBER+ INTERVIEW – The former head of Gabon’s presidential guard has been sworn in as the country’s new president, just days after a military-led coup there.  Meanwhile, protestors have been gathering in Niger’s capital, demanding French troops leave the country following a coup on July 26.

There have been nine coups in West and Central Africa in the past three years, many of them challenging Western influence in resource-rich countries.  What is driving unrest in this strategically important region and what would it mean if these countries formed an anti-Western bloc?

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