African Union leaders are meeting in Equatorial Guinea. Inflation and war in Ukraine are increasing food prices across Africa. Four AU member states are suspended because of coups.

Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama told FRANCE 24 that recent coups in West Africa are undermining democracy and that events have reached a crucial juncture for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regional bloc. “Clearly it is a threat, it is an unfortunate precedent,” he said.

Military leaders in Mali and Guinea are under pressure to follow a roadmap for elections after coups in recent years. The sanctions consist of travel bans and asset freezes.

Despite a 2020 peace deal and the promise of elections, violence has increased and anti-government demonstrations are gathering pace. But experts say the situation is complex and a hard military coup remains unlikely.

In 1967 following two coups and confusion which led to about a million Igbos relocating from all over the country back to the South East of Nigeria, the Republic of Biafra seceded with a 33-year-old military officer Emeka Odumegu Ojukwu at the helm. And today, we remember the unfortunate episode best forgotten.