Military Coups in West Africa

Abstract This article examines the prospects and challenges of the Alliance of Sahel States ( AES ) in West Africa, using alliance theory as the theoretical basis. Methodologically, it is a review paper, using keywords to search through online databases, such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, Science Direct, Google and others. Some keywords and phrases included “Alliance of Sahel States”, “West Africa”, “coups in West Africa”, “military takeovers in West Africa”, “West African democracy”, “ ECOWAS stand on coups”, “ ECOWAS reactions”, “ ECOWAS sanctions” and “regional integration”. The study findings were analysed thematically. Two main themes that emerged were the prospects and challenges of the alliance formation in West Africa. The study concludes that West African states’ political leaders must not take their people for granted in the governance of their states. It recommends that ECOWAS be proactive and act swiftly on warning signs from internal politics rather than reacting after military takeovers.