A study of the wave of military takeovers in the Sahel and coastal West Africa, and the regional architecture struggling to respond.
A succession of military takeovers has reordered the politics of West Africa, exposing the limits of regional instruments designed for an era of consolidating democracy.
Punitive measures have repeatedly hardened transitional governments rather than hastening a return to civilian rule. A credible response must pair clear democratic benchmarks with sustained engagement on security and development.
