The swift toppling of Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (aka IBK), the president of Mali, on Tuesday does not bode well for two overlapping (and troubled) sections of west Africa: the Sahel and the Francophone countries. It is also part of a recurring war in which top politicians in Francophone Africa start waging against rules and institutions the moment they get in power. This culture of care-free rule-breaking and rampant abuse of political institutions seems today typical of Francophone west Africa. Unlike Francophone central Africa, where dictatorships remain firmly in place, Francophone west Africa largely democratised in the 1990s (Togo is the exception). The Mali events are thus ominous for both the citizens of Francophone west Africa and those in power.

Source: The Guardian August 21, 2020 09:33 UTC