Historical Facts on Africa Coups

Comprehensive facts on the list of coups events in Africa since 1960 till date. See

List of all coups in Africa from history till the year 2023, including the names of the countries where the coups occur, and the coup leaders.

1960: The Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) is renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo after a military coup led by Joseph Mobutu.

1966: The Central African Republic is declared a republic after a military coup led by Jean-Bédel Bokassa.

1966: The military overthrows the government of Ghana in a coup led by Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong.

1967: The government of Nigeria is overthrown in a coup led by General Yakubu Gowon.

1970: The military overthrows the government of Mali in a coup led by Moussa Traoré.

1972: The government of Dahomey (now Benin) is overthrown in a coup led by Mathieu Kérékou.

1974: The military overthrows the government of Portugal's African colonies, including Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, and Angola.

1975: The military overthrows the government of Somalia in a coup led by Siad Barre.

1979: The military overthrows the government of Uganda in a coup led by Idi Amin.

1980: The military overthrows the government of Liberia in a coup led by Samuel Doe.

1981: The military overthrows the government of Sierra Leone in a coup led by Joseph Momoh.

1982: The military overthrows the government of Niger in a coup led by Seyni Kountché.

1983: The military overthrows the government of Burkina Faso in a coup led by Thomas Sankara.

1985: The military overthrows the government of Equatorial Guinea in a coup led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

1987: The military overthrows the government of Chad in a coup led by Hissène Habré.

1991: The military overthrows the government of Ethiopia in a coup led by Meles Zenawi.

1992: The military overthrows the government of Lesotho in a coup led by Major General Leabua Jonathan.

1993: The military overthrows the government of Burundi in a coup led by Major Pierre Buyoya.

1994: The military overthrows the government of Rwanda in a coup led by Paul Kagame.

1999: The military overthrows the government of Sierra Leone in a coup led by Johnny Paul Koroma.

2003: The military overthrows the government of Liberia in a coup led by Charles Taylor.

2008: The military overthrows the government of Guinea-Bissau in a coup led by Captain Antonio Indjai.

2010: The military overthrows the government of Madagascar in a coup led by Andry Rajoelina.

2012: The military overthrows the government of Mali in a coup led by Captain Amadou Sanogo.

2013: The military overthrows the government of Egypt in a coup led by General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

2014: The military overthrows the government of Central African Republic in a coup led by Michel Djotodia.

2015: The military overthrows the government of Burundi in a coup led by General Godefroid Niyombare.

2017: The military overthrows the government of The Gambia in a coup led by Yahya Jammeh.

2019: The military overthrows the government of Sudan in a coup led by General Abdel Fattah el-Burhan.

2020: A group of Malian colonels remove President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in a coup.

2021: A group of Guinean special forces led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya overthrow President Alpha Conde.

2021: Chad's army takes power after President Idriss Deby is killed on the battlefield while visiting troops fighting rebels in the north.

2022: Burkina Faso's army removes President Roch Kabore, blaming him for failing to contain violence by Islamist militants.

2022: A group of soldiers overthrow President Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba in Niger.

2023: Niger's Bazoum was overthrown by the military.

2023: Gabon's Ali Bongo was overthrown by military in a live TV after election result was announced in August.

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