Discontent: Protesters carry Russian flags as they protest in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou outside the French embassy as unrest simmers. (AFP)
On 16 August, the Alliance of Sahel States, formed by Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger — all led by military juntas that withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States — celebrated its first anniversary. In recent years, military takeovers have increased in West Africa, erasing years of democratic progress.
These coups are…
