Consider the following statements :
Statement-I :
There is instability and worsening security situation in the Sahel region.
Statement-II :
There have been military takeovers/coups d'état in several countries of the Sahel region in the recent past.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements ?
Show answer
Answer: A. Statement I is correct: the Sahel region of Africa faces growing instability, jihadist violence and humanitarian crises. Statement II is correct and explains it: military coups in Mali (2020, 2021), Burkina Faso (2022) and Niger (2023) weakened governments and security cooperation, worsening the situation. So both are correct and II explains I.
Watch for: Instability has many causes, so students choose B, but the coups are clearly linked to the worsening situation.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Wrong because the coups are a direct cause of the worsening security.
- C. Wrong because there really have been several recent coups in the Sahel.
- D. Wrong because instability in the Sahel is widely reported.
Source to check: UN Security Council reports on West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS, 2023); UN News, 'Sahel' coverage 2023
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.