Theory question 103
ECOWASWhat five factors explain the reasons for the attack on the democratic system of government in some member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in recent times?
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Any five: insecurity and terrorism in the Sahel; poor governance and corruption; tenure elongation/third-term agendas by civilian leaders; disputed and rigged elections; poverty, unemployment and economic hardship; anti-French/foreign influence sentiment; ambition of military officers and weak civil control; ethnic and political divisions; weak sanctions/enforcement by ECOWAS; popular support for coups among frustrated youth.
Note: after the coups in Mali (2020, 2021), Guinea (2021), Burkina Faso (2022) and Niger (2023), Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger left ECOWAS (effective January 2025) and formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
Five factors; examples from recent coups strengthen the answer.