Fostering Regional Integration in Africa in the Wake of Military Takeovers in the Sahel: Recasting the Casablanca-Monrovia and Brazzaville Debate?

The resurgence of military coups in the Sahel region and the crisis surrounding the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has put back the question of regional integration and African unity to intense scholarly scrutiny. The Sahel has emerged as the epicentre of violent extremism in the world according to the Institute for Economic and Peace`s 2024 Global Terrorism Index. The resurgence of military coups in the region further adds to the political dynamics of the region. The intervention of ECOWAS and the AU to restore constitutional order and the counteraction of the military juntas have resulted to the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States in the Sahel which has implications for regional integration in Africa in general. This study adopts a qualitative research strategy and case study design to examine the resurgence of military coups in the Sahel. It is based on desk review, particularly data sources such as Google scholar. The findings reveal that the resurgence of military coups in the Sahel region has implications for regional integration and the objective of unity of the African Union. Military coups in the Sahel have raised the stakes and challenges for Africa unity via regional integration by complicating the role of the regional institution, ECOWAS and ultimately the African Union. It posits that revisiting the foundational discourse of African unity and integration that is the Casablanca-Monrovia and Brazzaville debates is essential to understanding the current political dynamics in the Sahel region.