All of Africa's coup leaders during the past five years are still in power

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Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau have announced a new junta leader, cementing a forceful takeover of power that began after a disputed presidential election, in what the main opposition candidate called a ploy to prevent him from taking over power. Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s poorest countries, and a hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe, has been dogged by coups and attempted coups since its independence from Portugal more than 50 years ago. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, Angela Diffley welcomes Nina Wilén, Associate Professor in Political Science at Lund University and Director for the Africa Programme at Egmont Institute for International Relations. Since 2020, 'ECOWAS has lost quite a lot of its power and credibility', explains Ms. Wilén: Out of the 15-member states, there have been five successful coups. ECOWAS has been unsuccessful "at restoring constitutional order to any of these states."