Between April 2019 and August 2023, Africa experienced ten unconstitutional seizures of power, along with several failed attempts of a coup d’état. Previously, coups had become rare, and the African Union (AU), together with the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), enforced relatively short transitions by leveraging robust frameworks — notably the 1999 Lomé Declaration and the 2007 African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. This trend has now shifted. Coups are more frequent, transitions more protracted, and the rule barring perpetrators of unconstitutional changes of government (UCGs) from contesting elections meant to restore constitutional order is increasingly disregarded. The credibility of international actors has been weakened by their failure to address underlying governance issues, while inconsistent application of AU and RECs norms has eroded deterrence.
Amid calls to revise existing frameworks, participants of this this webinar discuss what exactly the current challenges for the AU and the RECs are, and what lessons can be learned from past responses to UCGs. The Webinar discussion will centre on the newly published ANCIP Working Paper by El-Ghassim Wane on “The African Union and Coups: Why Implementation Matters More than New Norms”.
Panelists:
- Amb. Said Djinnit, First AU Commissioner for Peace and Security (2003–2008)
- El-Ghassim Wane. Former Head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali
- Antonia Witt, PRIF
Moderator: Ulf Engel, Institute of African Studies | Leipzig University
When: 10 July 2025, 9am (GMT)
Where: Online via Zoom (with registration).