Date: Friday 9^th February 2024
Time: 3-4 p.m. (Cameroon time GMT+1)
Venue: Online Zoom (Register now)

CONCEPT NOTE

Africa has recently experienced an upsurge in military coups. The most recent ones, notably those of July 26, 2023 in Niger and August 30, 2023 in Gabon, provoked different reactions from African regional organizations and the international community. While the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) strongly condemned the coup in Niger and even threatened military intervention, the AU and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) reacted much more cautiously to the coup in Gabon. At the international level, the Ministers of foreign affairs of the European Union (EU) decided, on August 31, to establish a legal framework to impose sanctions on the perpetrators of the coup d’État in Niger ( 1 ) and suspend cooperation security and financial relations between the European Union (EU) and Niamey ( 2 ). Yet EU diplomacy appeared to justify the coup in Gabon. Its leader notably declared: “ Military coups are not generally a solution, but we must not forget that in Gabon, elections marred by irregularities took place ” ( 3 ). In the same vein, France ( 4 ) and the United States unequivocally condemned the coup d’état in Niger, while adopting a more nuanced position on Gabon, limiting themselves to urging the army to ” preserve civil power” ( 5 ). How can we understand these heterogeneous reactions to the same political phenomenon, that of unconstitutional changes of government?

1. Objectifs

The main objective of this webinar is to take the previous coups d’état in Niger and Gabon as a starting point for analyzing the political, strategic and geopolitical implications of coups in Africa, which justify their differential political treatment.

The specific objectives can be broken down as follows:

• Research and analyze the reasons or interests that underlie and justify the reactions of people and international actors to the coups in Niger and Gabon;
• Analyze the political, strategic and geopolitical implications of the differential treatment of coups in

2. Event Format

The event will be online, on Zoom, with panel discussions moderated by experts and will be broadcast live on the Foretia Foundation’s social media platforms.

3. Event date and time

The event will take place on Friday 9^th February 2024 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Cameroon time –GMT+1).

4. Organizers

This event is organized by the Governance and Democracy Division of the Nkafu Policy Institute, a Think tank of the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation.

5. Participants

This debate is organized by the Governance and Democracy Division of the Nkafu Policy Institute. It is open to all without restriction.

6. Contacts

For more information, please contact us by email at: [email protected] or via telephone: (+237) 222 31 15 84 / 654 86 72 54.