Julian Mwine's Blog

Leaders of the Niger coup at a rally of coup supporters. Courtesy Anadolu Agency  In the past few years, Africa has seen a concerning rise in military coups, marking a significant departure from a period of relative democratic stability. This trend, particularly pronounced since 2020, has seen abrupt leadership changes in several nations due to military interventions. The implications of these coups for democracy, governance, and international geopolitics are profound and demand a comprehensive analysis. A Brief Overview of Recent Coups From Gabon to Niger , Burkina Faso to Sudan , and Guinea to Mali , the continent has experienced a series of coups. Historically, post-independence Africa was no stranger to military interventions. However, the early 2000s saw a decline, making the recent surge reminiscent of the instability many African nations faced in the decades following independence. Factors such as poverty, poor economic performance, and previous coups often set the...

Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr resigned Tuesday, becoming the most high-profile minister to step down since protests against the rule of President Mohammed Morsi began over the weekend. Amr's resignation came after the Egyptian military issued an ultimatum Monday, demanding that Morsi and the ruling Muslim Brotherhood start a dialogue with opposition members within 48 hours, or risk the military stepping in to impose a "political roadmap" on all parties. This move comes amid the latest in a series of political crises in Egypt since the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011. The political turmoil facing Egypt, its political class and its powerful military has become almost a given, with all sides turning to public displays of unrest and emotion as often as they do to the democratic process. And as Egypt's political system evolves, it is becoming clear that -- with the exception of a few critical issues, including Gaza, the Suez Cana...