In the span of a few hours on December 7, a small group of soldiers in Benin, West Africa, moved from night‑time attacks on senior officers’ homes to a televized announcement claiming they had removed President Patrice Talon and suspended the constitution. Forces loyal to the government swiftly retook the national broadcaster and key positions in Cotonou, and authorities now say the coup attempt has been defeated even as some officers remain missing and questions about the mutineers’ support network persist.

Military forces in Guinea-Bissau seized power on November 26, one day before presidential election results were scheduled for release, with regional leaders and civil society groups questioning whether the takeover was orchestrated to prevent an electoral defeat. The electoral commission now says vote tallies were destroyed during the chaos, making it impossible to determine the election’s legitimate winner.

Mauritania’s Supreme Court has confirmed a 15-year prison sentence for former president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz on charges of illicit enrichment and money laundering, marking the end of a historic legal process and setting a new regional precedent for the prosecution of financial crimes by former heads of state.

West Africa’s latest elections—including Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire—are marked by steep entry fees, stage-managed rallies, and entrenched support for incumbents. Despite the promise of fresh leadership, the region’s new faces continue delivering the same old politics.