Restoring Constitutional Order after Coups: Comparative Analysis of the Constitutional Texts of Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali

Following successive military coups, Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso have embarked on complex constitutional transitions intended to restore constitutional and democratic order. This report offers a comparative analysis of Mali’s 2023 Constitution, Chad’s 2023 Constitution and Burkina Faso’s 2017 draft Constitution, assessing their potential to address severe security, economic and environmental crises while safeguarding democratic governance.

The report finds that, although the three texts differ in important ways, each concentrates significant power in the presidency, provides weak constitutional guarantees for decentralization and leaves many core democratic institutions and procedures to be defined by legislation. It highlights the risks of executive dominance, insufficient checks and balances, and limited protection for rights, while underscoring the importance of inclusive constitution-making processes capable of supporting both effective governance and long-term constitutional democracy.