Q. In the recent years Chad, Guinea, Mali and Sudan caught the international attention for which one of the following reasons common to all of them?

  • Discovery of rich deposits of rare earth elements
  • Establishment of Chinese military bases.
  • Southward expansion of Sahara Desert
  • Successful coups

Answer: (d) Successful coups

Notes:
  • In past few years, military leaders have toppled the governments of Mali, Chad, Guinea, Sudan and Burkina Faso.
  • These five nations that have recently experienced military coups form a broken line that stretches across the wide bulge of Africa, from Guinea on the west coast to Sudan in the east.
    • Chad: In April 2021, President Idriss Déby was killed while leading troops against rebels in the north of the country. His son, Mahamat Idriss Déby, took over as president and declared a transitional military council.
    • Guinea: In September 2021, President Alpha Condé was overthrown in a coup led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya. Doumbouya declared himself president and formed a transitional government.
    • Mali: In August 2020, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta was overthrown in a coup led by Colonel Assimi Goïta. Goïta declared himself president and formed a transitional government.
    • Sudan: In April 2019, President Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in a coup led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Al-Burhan declared himself president and formed a transitional government.
  • The resurgence of coups has alarmed the region’s remaining civilian leaders.
  • The coups in Chad, Guinea, Mali, and Sudan have all been met with international condemnation. The African Union has suspended all four countries from membership. The United Nations has also imposed sanctions on some of the coup leaders.