The cost of instability on the African continent is high
The economic effects of military coups in Africa are extended
The refugee problem in Africa contributes to the tense situation and increases the economic burden in many countries of the continent.
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The wars cost the brown continent high human and economic costs and contributed to the large number of coups.
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Since the countries of the African continent gained independence in the fifties of the last century, military coups have become a common and frequent event, which has appeared in some of these countries in recent years.
The economic impacts resulting from tensions and military coups in Africa are numerous, and as a whole, they have negative repercussions on African national economies. These repercussions extend to the continental regional level, and even extend beyond that to the global economy.
Frequent inversions
The African continent leads the world in the number of coups, as it has reached more than 200 coup attempts since the late fifties of the last century, according to some studies, including what happened this year in Mali and the Republic of Guinea.
The countries of West and Central Africa in general are the most vulnerable to military coups;
Given the fertile environment that encourages this, which is represented by racial and ethnic differences, in addition to the fragility of the state's structure in terms of political and security.
Despite the numerous and numerous coup attempts in Africa, almost half of them failed.
Regional Repercussions
Military coups in Africa have negative repercussions that affect the economic development of the continent, and they can be clarified as follows:
1- The increase in the number of refugees and the poor living conditions
Wars and coups in Africa have led to an increase in the number of displaced persons, refugees and displaced persons from places of conflict to more stable ones, which has made this continent now home to about a third of the number of refugees worldwide.
The refugee crisis on the African continent generates enormous economic burdens, such as declining economic growth rates, high levels of poverty, low average incomes of individuals, deteriorating infrastructure, the disintegration of families as a result of killing and displacement, kidnapping and recruitment of children in armed conflicts.
Countries such as Sudan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Rwanda and Mali have witnessed military coups and civil strife that lasted for decades, killing more than 13 million people, and displacing about 33 million others.
2- Suspension of membership in regional institutions and imposition of economic sanctions
Such decisions usually come as a kind of response to the worsening political and security situation in countries that witnessed military coups.
Usually the African Union or regional blocs on the continent to impose political and economic sanctions on those countries.
In this context, Mali's membership in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was suspended after the May 2021 coup, and the group imposed sanctions on it.
The Republic of Guinea was also suspended by ECOWAS, after the coup last September.
This undoubtedly results in a state of anxiety and uncertainty about the economic conditions in these countries, and negatively affects the plans and objectives of completing the stages of regional economic integration.
3- Disrupt economic development plans in Africa
At a time when Africa is following in the footsteps and ambitions of the Sustainable Development Agenda 2063, which aims to build a strong, integrated and influential African economy in the international arena, and with its keenness for peace and political stability to be the backbone of these development aspirations through the “Silencing the Sound of Guns” initiative. However, the actual reality of the political scene in the brown continent greatly hinders the implementation of the development agenda.
Here, military coups lead to tense and unstable situations in countries, where their leaders and peoples are busy investing their vast wealth, in addition to the widespread practices of financial corruption, which is embodied in several countries such as the case of Nigeria, where a series of coups and political tensions led to over the course of the year. The past decades have led to the looting of its natural resources, especially oil, to become the most corrupt countries in the African continent.
Also, political tensions in the brown continent play an opposite role to economic development efforts, as there are about 15 African countries out of 20 topping the global index of the most economically fragile countries for the year 2021, such as the Central African Republic, Somalia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad and Guinea, which are All of them suffer from unstable internal conditions.
In a case like Sudan, during the era of former President Omar al-Bashir (1989-2019), which was characterized by a high degree of political and security instability, and strained Khartoum’s relations with the international community, the country witnessed great economic losses, exacerbated by the secession of South Sudan in 2011, putting the name Sudan is on the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Since 2019, Sudan has been witnessing a period of political transition marred by many internal tensions, which are likely to exacerbate in light of the current developments, especially with the announcement by the President of the Transitional Sovereign Council in Sudan, Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, on October 25, 2021, the dissolution of the Sovereignty and Cabinet Councils. and imposing a state of emergency throughout the country.
Consequently, the current instability in Sudan is expected to threaten the overall economic situation in the country, disrupt its economic reform plans, and return international pressures and sanctions. For example, on October 25, the US State Department announced the suspension of its aid to Sudan.
Wars and coups in Africa have led to an increase in the number of displaced persons, refugees and displaced persons from places of conflict to more stable ones, which has made this continent now home to about a third of the number of refugees worldwide.
• The African continent leads the world in the number of coups, as it has reached more than 200 coup attempts since the late fifties of the last century.
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