Coup contagion? A rash of African power grabs suggests copycats are taking note of others’ success

By Salah Ben Hammou, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Rice University
Jonathan Powell, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Kentucky

In a scene that has become familiar across parts of Africa of late, a group of armed men in military garb appeared on state TV on Dec. 7, 2025, to announce that they had suspended the constitution and seized control.

This time it was the West African nation of Benin, and the coup was relatively short-lived, with the government regaining full control a day later. But a week before, senior military…

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