In the wake of the Gabon coup, earlier this week- a closer look at the patterns that have led up to nine coups in the last 3 years is pointing to poverty as a major cause.
During a session on “Follow The Money – Coups in Central Africa Region: The Economic Effect” hosted by TheWitness, Olumide Adesina stated that poverty plays an essential role in these recurrent coups.
Adesina highlighted three critical factors that are at play in Nigeria currently. First, there is a resounding message within Nigeria, where the middle class is shrinking daily, with 1.8 million leaving the country last year.
He also analyzed the success of coups in the region, emphasizing the citizens’ deteriorating conditions, electoral system abuse, and the importance of strong institutions, as advocated by Barack Obama.
He cited factors like rising rice costs, the India ban, the Ukraine war, and US dollar liquidity, as well as the proliferation of arms in the West, contributing to the instability.
Gabon’s unemployment rate currently stands at 32%. In tandem with this, poverty remains a formidable challenge, with a staggering 35% of Gabonese citizens living below the poverty line, surviving on less than two dollars a day according to reports.
So far, since 2020, there has been a noticeable increase in military coups across the African continent, evoking memories of the 1960s.
To date, approximately 9 coups have occurred in various African nations, including Gabon, Niger, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Sao Tome, Cape Verde, and others. Countries like Niger which are the 7th largest contributor to global uranium supply, find themselves in a precarious position as one of the poorest nations worldwide.
The poverty index shows an estimated 10 million people (41% of the total population) grapple with extreme poverty.
