An elite military unit in Madagascar seized power in October 2025, ousting the country's embattled President Andry Rajoelina. This marks the second successful coup in the country (out of 5 attempts) and one of the successful coups in Africa out of the total 226 attempts on the continent.
Sudan leads Africa in the number of coup d’état attempts, recording 18 since 1950, seven more than Burkina Faso, Burundi, and Sierra Leone, which each have 11. This reflects recurring power struggles and weak institutional structures that make military intervention a recurring part of its political narrative.
Across Africa, 226 coups have been attempted between 1950 and 2025, revealing how deeply rooted the struggle for political power has been in the region’s post-independence history. Out of these 226 coups, over 110 have been successful. The prevalence of coups in countries like Mali, Niger, and Guinea-Bissau underlines a pattern: states grappling with insecurity, corruption, and weak governance often experience repeated military takeovers as cycles of instability continue.
