The Cause of Diplomatic Failure in the Sahel Region and the Rising Coups

Abstract

This paper examines the reasons of diplomatic failure amid the rising coups in the Sahel region. Five countries (Mali, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Chad, Niger and Gambia) are currently governed or ruled by military juntas after the regional actors for instance, ECOWAS (Economic Committee of West African States) and AU (African Unity) have failed to explore any successful diplomatic strategy to annex the situation. Reasons accounting for the rising coups in the region are different depending on the country, generally, they include, lack of leadership and political will, historical legacies, weak institutions and governance, the abundance of resources, mistrust, economic hardships, unemployment, inadequate basic amenities and many others. The region currently is experiencing a combination of climate, food insecurity, armed conflicts, and demographic shocks with significant socio-economic consequences, and according to Plan International for West Africa, an NGO (Non-governmental organization), indicates that, more than 9.7 million people are food insecure in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, as of December 2022, and 600,000 children are already suffering from acute malnutrition (Harsch 2017). Diplomacy in Africa (Sahel) has experienced some of its failures due to a convergence of factors such as: the quality of diplomacy and mediators; the ubiquity of conflicts; the continent’s lack of international influence; Africa’s dependence on external actors and; subsequent lack of assertiveness and the inability to stand up to errant leaders within the region whose actions threaten good governance and regional security. Therefore, the article will further detail the cause of rising coups in the Sahel region and recommend sustainable diplomatic measures to the regional actors.