TIMELINE: Guinea-Bissau joins a list of recent coups in West Africa

Guinea-Bissau has become the latest West African country to experience a coup, bringing the tally of such incidents in the sub-region since the turn of the decade to 10.

Army officials announced on Wednesday that they had taken over the government and suspended elections in the country, a few hours before the electoral commission could declare the winner of the presidential election.

The group, which described itself as the “High Military Command for the Restoration, declared that they were taking over control “until further notice.”

The soldiers had initially closed down borders but reopened them on Thursday. The putschists also swore in a military leader who had served as the Chief of Army Staff, Horta Inta-A, as the transitional President.

Mr Inta-A is considered to have been close with the President, Umaro Embalo, who was ousted and has now fled to Senegal.

But Mr Inta-A insisted that there was efficient evidence to justify the ousting of the democratic government.

However, these actions have drawn criticism across West Africa, with several governments and regional blocs calling for a return to constitutional order. ECOWAS has also suspended Guinea-Bissau from all its decision-making organs.

The election observer missions of the African Union and ECOWAS also called the coup an attempt to erode the country’s progress toward stability.

With the recent event, West Africa has now experienced at least ten coups between 2020 and August 2025, four of which led to the military successfully taking over power.

Earlier in April, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu expressed concerns about coups, stating that they threatened democratic gains in the region.

Coups and their aftermath also fractured ECOWAS as they led to the creation of the Alliance for Sahel States (AES) by three junta-led West African states.

Here is a timeline of coup attempts in the region since 2020.

Mali – 2020 and 2021

In August 2020, the Malian army removed the then-President, Ibrahim Keïta, amid public anger at worsening insecurity, perceived corruption, and a disputed parliamentary election. The military established a transitional government with an 18-month timetable for elections.

However, about nine months later, in May 2021, a second coup occurred, in which soldiers arrested the transitional president and prime minister, with Assimi Goita assuming leadership.

Guinea — 2021

In September 2021, a coup occurred in Guinea against the backdrop of President Alpha Condé’s contentious third-term project, which had already polarised the country and eroded trust in electoral institutions.

The military, led by Mamady Doumbouya, had capitalised on public frustration at governance failures, economic stagnation, and the heavy-handed repression to enforce its reign.

Burkina Faso – February and September 2022

Burkina Faso’s first recent coup was the 2022 coup and was considered to be driven by acute security pressures. As the jihadist groups expanded their reach, public morale deteriorated, and confidence in President Kaboré declined.

Only eight months later, however, the transitional leaders were overthrown, and another coup ushered in Ibrahim Traoré, who accused the transitional leaders of failing to reverse the security collapse and of drifting away from the military’s expectations.

The Gambia – December 2022

There was an attempted coup in Gambia in December 2022. A small group of soldiers attempted, but failed, to topple the President, Adama Barrow.

This attempt was rooted in dissatisfaction within pockets of the military over promotions and the slow pace of security sector reform.

Niger – July 2023

In 2023, the presidential guard, led by Abdourahamane Tchiani, overthrew Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected in 2021, due to alleged governance failures.

Then, in March 2025, the junta prolonged its transitional rule by at least five years, arguing that persistent jihadist violence made a return to civilian government unworkable.

Guinea Bissau – November 2025

The coup in Guinea-Bissau is the latest coup attempt in the subregion.

In addition to the wave in West Africa, Central Africa has also recorded two coup attempts in the same period, bringing the total number of coups in both regions to 10.

Chad – 2021

Although Chad is not a member of ECOWAS, it has observer status in the subregional bloc. In April 2021, following the death of President Idriss Déby, the army seized power immediately.

His son, Mahamat Déby, was named interim president by a military council, bypassing constitutional succession rules.

Gabon — August 2023

In 2023, Gabonese military officers staged a coup just after the re-election of long-time leader Ali Ondimba was announced.

The soldiers annulled the election results, dissolved state institutions, and placed Mr Bongo under house arrest. The coup ended over 50 years of rule by the Bongo family.

Alleged Coup Attempts

There are also alleged failed coup attempts across the region, such as in Nigeria, where dozens of top army officials were arrested in October over alleged plots to oust President Bola Tinubu.

READ ALSO: Coup: ECOWAS suspends Guinea-Bissau from decision-making bodies

PREMIUM TIMES reported that around 16 officers were initially detained before additional arrests were made. Over 30 officials suspected of being a part of the coup are being investigated, while seven suspects are still at large.

In November 2023, Sierra Leone was also attacked by gunmen, which the government described as an attempted coup. However, security forces restored control after several hours of fighting.