Why West Africa and the Sahel are witnessing a resurgence in coups and political instability

1 / 4
Africa seemed to be moving toward civilian rule, with democratic institutions and a more accountable and participatory system. After recent coups, main, these hard-won gains appear under threat. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 17 August 2023
Follow

Why West Africa and the Sahel are witnessing a resurgence in coups and political instability

  • Niger, the latest country in the region to experience a military coup, embodies wider democratic rollback
  • Experts attribute trend to historical grievances, ethnic tensions, economic disparities and external influences

NAIROBI, Kenya: In the vast semi-arid expanse of West Africa’s Sahel, a series of military coups have dealt a heavy blow to the region’s political stability and democratic transformation, and created a new era of uncertainty and insecurity.

The July 26 coup in Niger, the latest in the region, where presidential guards ousted democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, was met with swift condemnation by the international community, including the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States.




Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum, shown in this picture addressing the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly on  Sept. 22, 2022, has been under detention since Niger presidential guards toppled him late last month. (REUTERS/File Photo)

Sanctions have been imposed against the new ruling junta, led by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, but hopes for the restoration of Bazoum’s rule are dwindling with each passing day.

The coup has raised questions about the viability of democratic transitions in Africa and the trajectory of political movements in the region.

The unsettling reality is that these military takeovers have derailed the democratic progress that many African nations had painstakingly made over several decades.

Before the recent wave of coups, the continent seemed to be moving toward civilian rule complete with democratic institutions and a more accountable and participatory system. These hard-won gains now appear to be under threat.




Fighters of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, shown in this picture released in August 1971, started an armed rebellion since 1956 for the independence of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, a Portuguese colony. (XINHUA / AFP)

After a decline in the number of such coups in Africa since 2000, Mali appeared to be the outlier when its military seized power in 2020.

However, 2021 saw a significant rise in military takeovers, with coups and attempted coups taking place in Chad, Guinea, Sudan and Niger. In 2022, there were five coup attempts, with two proving successful in Burkina Faso.

The implications of these coups extend beyond the borders of the affected countries, sending shockwaves across the entire continent, and causing concern about the fragility of democratic governance in Africa in the face of several existential threats.

The international community now watches with a mix of dismay and apprehension as military interventions become more frequent, raising doubts about the long-term stability of many African nations.

As neighboring countries and regional institutions grapple with the consequences of these coups, it is crucial to understand the unique challenges faced by African nations, particularly those in the Sahel region.

Experts say it is not only critical that the root causes of instability, such as economic stagnation, political discontent and historical legacies, are addressed. They say regional- and international-level cooperation has a strong role to play in supporting the restoration of democratic governance and preventing future military interventions.

“The recent coups witnessed in Africa are orchestrated by opportunistic military personnel who exploit the vulnerabilities of their nations’ feeble institutions and underdeveloped human conditions,” Gbenga Erin, a Nigeria-based analyst with ECOWAS, told Arab News.




Since West African nations gained independence, economic underdevelopment and grievances blamed by some on colonial rule have contributed to successive military coups. (AFP file)

Across the continent, there is a broad consensus that democracy offers the most favorable governance structure and warrants safeguarding, he said.

Nevertheless, the persistent issues of terrorism, corruption, poor infrastructure and socio-economic backwardness mean that much of the African population has been experiencing nothing but varying states of deprivation.

These challenges have consistently served as a pretext for those plotting coups.

Demographic trends further magnify these challenges. Niger has the world’s fastest-growing population at a rate exceeding 3 percent annually.




UNFPA Infographic

The Sahel region, where these incidents are taking place, is currently home to approximately 354 million people, and the population in some of these countries is projected to more than double by 2050.

By then, Africa will have 40 percent of the global youth population aged 15 to 24, leading to larger class sizes in schools and universities that will outpace teacher training.

Consequently, young people are entering the labor market at a rate far greater than the growth of available jobs.




Infographic from World Bank Group discussion paper, August 2016.

Analysts believe the failure of regional governments to meet the basic expectations of their peoples, such as employment, physical safety, education and healthcare, has contributed to the recent spate of military coups.

“The local populations in these countries often have high expectations for improved governance, economic development and security,” Ovigwe Eguegu, a Nigeria-based policy analyst, told Arab News.

0 seconds of 1 minute, 9 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
01:09
01:09
 

 

“But when these expectations are not met, there can be frustration with the existing government, leading some to support military interventions that promise change.”

Alex de Waal, a British researcher on African elite politics, argued in a recent piece for the New York Times that the response from developed nations has also been far from adequate.




A street merchant waits for customers in Niamey, Niger, on Aug. 14, 2023. (AP Photo)

He said many European and Middle Eastern countries have tended to focus on deterring migrants from leaving Africa rather than helping to create jobs that would encourage them to remain.

An assessment of democratic progress in Africa does reveal a mixed picture of success and failure. Despite certain advancements, the continent often finds itself taking one step forward and two steps back.

Regular elections coexist with democratic rollbacks, institutionalization of political parties with endemic corruption, and political freedoms with constraints and inequalities.

“Many of these governments are not delivering the so-called dividends of democracy, such as security, economic prosperity, protecting lives and property,” Christopher Ogunmodede, a foreign affairs expert from Nigeria, told Arab News.

0 seconds of 41 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:41
00:41
 

 

“It’s not enough to sit back and lecture people about why democracy is so perfect and things like that. People nominally believe that they should have a civilian government ... but they have this very calling that suggests that if civilian governments are not working, they should be removed very fast.”

African democracies must reform if they are to succeed, says Fidel Amakye Owusu, an international relations and security analyst from Ghana.

“African countries urgently need reforms to enhance trust and legitimacy in elections, while corruption remains a critical issue,” but only democratic governments are equipped to improve things on the ground and fight extremism, he told Arab News.




A man stands outside a shop in a suburb of Niamey in Niger on August 14, 2023. Power grabs in the Sahel have been linked to the failure of many of the region's governments to deivering the so-called dividends of democracy, such as security, economic prosperity, and protecting lives and property. (AF/File)

At the same time, the conditions available to political opposition under which they can hold ruling parties to account, have not always been conducive to sustaining the democratic political order — something armed actors can capitalize on.

For instance, before the coup in Niger, democratic participation was relatively restricted, according to Ogunmodede, who highlighted the case of the M26 movement, composed of several civil society groups.

In 2022, M26 was barred from holding a protest against Operation Barkhane, a French counter-insurgency mission spanning the Sahel region, forcing it to limit itself to social-media campaigning.




Niger's junta supporters take part in a demonstration in front of a French army base in Niamey, Niger, on August 11, 2023. Restrictions against Niger'ss civil society groups are believed to have led them into supporting the military's plot to overthrow the country's democratically elected government. (REUTERS/Mahamadou Hamidou)

Analysts believe social media platforms have allowed for the spread of misinformation and disinformation about the security situation, undermining trust in the region’s democratic institutions.

While social media commentators claim the security situation was not improving, experts say Niger’s counterextremism operations were overall faring better than other nations in the region.

Beatrice Bianchi, a Sahel expert with the Med-Or Foundation, an Italian think tank, identifies social media as a vehicle spreading misinformation in the Sahel countries. “This has raised tensions particularly among the youth, and (has) radicalized people,” Bianchi told Arab News.

0 seconds of 1 minute, 15 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
01:15
01:15
 

 

Having witnessed the coup unfold in the capital Niamey, Bianchi is of the view that the protests in support of the junta cannot be considered representative of the majority of the population.

“The junta violently crushed the anti-coup protesters, and then called for others to come to support them. These weren’t spontaneous protests in the beginning,” she said.





Nigerien security forces launch tear gas to disperse pro-junta demonstrators gathered outside the French embassy in Niamey on July 30, 2023. (Reuters)

Also, playing an anti-colonial card can be a very effective political tool, said analyst Eguegu, because “the legacy of colonialism continues to shape the discourse in all these countries.”

“The struggle for decolonization, coupled with concerns about foreign influence, is a significant factor in the political landscape, while the presence of foreign military installations aimed at fighting extremists, geopolitical interests, and regional security strategies add complexity to the situation,” said Eguegu.

Despite the political turbulence being witnessed in West Africa, Owusu, the Ghanaian expert, insists that “the destiny of Africa is intertwined with the fate of its democracies and the people of the continent deserve leaders who prioritize their welfare, promote accountable governance, and uphold the principles of democracy.”

As a result, the resurgence of military coups serves as a stark reminder that these ideals are not yet fully realized and the path forward requires a united effort to protect and nurture the democratic aspirations of African nations.

Doing so might ensure that the continent’s future is one of progress, prosperity and true democratic representation.

 


Trump says Canada to face 35 percent tariff rate starting August 1

Updated 59 min 5 sec ago
Follow

Trump says Canada to face 35 percent tariff rate starting August 1

  • Canada and Mexico are both trying to find ways to satisfy Trump so that the free trade deal uniting the three countries — known as the USMCA — can be put back on track

WASHINGTON: Canada will face a 35 percent tariff on exports to the United States starting August 1, President Donald Trump said Thursday in a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney.
It was the latest of more than 20 such letters issued by Trump since Monday, as he continues to pursue his trade war threats against dozens of economies.
Canada and the US are locked in trade negotiations in hopes to reach a deal by July 21 and the latest threat seemed to put that deadline in jeopardy.
Canada and Mexico are both trying to find ways to satisfy Trump so that the free trade deal uniting the three countries — known as the USMCA — can be put back on track.
The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement replaced the previous NAFTA accord in July 2020, after Trump successfully pushed for a renegotiation during his first term in office.
It was due to be reviewed by July next year, but Trump accelerated the process by launching his trade wars after he took office in January.
Canadian and Mexican products were initially hard hit by 25 percent US tariffs, with a lower rate for Canadian energy.
Trump targeted both neighbors saying they did not do enough on illegal immigration and the flow of illicit drugs across borders.
But he eventually announced exemptions for goods entering his country under the USMCA, covering large swaths of products. Potash, used as fertilizer, got a lower rate as well.
The letter on Thursday came despite what had been warming relations between Trump and Carney.
The Canadian leader came to the White House on May 6 and had a cordial meeting with Trump in the Oval Office.
They met again at the G7 summit last month in Canada, where leaders pushed Trump to back away from his punishing trade war.

 


French president calls for joint recognition of Palestinian state by France and UK

Updated 21 sec ago
Follow

French president calls for joint recognition of Palestinian state by France and UK

  • After talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, Emmanuel Macron stresses urgent need for a 2-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict
  • Starmer reaffirms his country’s commitment to a just political settlement of the Palestinian issue

LONDON: French President Emmanuel Macron has urged his country and the UK to jointly recognize Palestinian statehood, describing it as “the only path to peace.”

Speaking during a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, Macron stressed the urgent need for efforts to advance a two-state solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

“I believe in the future of the two-state solution, and in the need to unify our voices in Paris, London and beyond to recognize the State of Palestine and launch this political dynamic that alone can lead to a horizon of peace,” Macron said.

Starmer reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to a just political settlement of the Palestinian issue, and highlighted the importance of international support for the Palestinian people and the need for stability in the region.

Macron concluded on Thursday a three-day state visit to the UK. It was the first such visit by a French statesman since 2008, and the first by an EU leader since Brexit in 2020.

On Wednesday, the Palestinian Authority welcomed comments by Macron during his speech to the British Parliament in which he affirmed the position of France on recognition of a Palestinian state as a way to help ensure stability in the Middle East.

Organizers of an international conference to garner support for Palestinian national independence, planned for mid-June and sponsored by Saudi Arabia and France, had to postpone the event because of the outbreak on June 13 of war between Iran and Israel.

In recent weeks, several members of Parliament belonging to Starmer’s ruling Labour Party have called on his government to officially recognize a Palestinian state and join with France in doing so.
 


Russia seizes $50 billion in assets as economy shifts during war in Ukraine, research shows

Updated 2 sec ago
Follow

Russia seizes $50 billion in assets as economy shifts during war in Ukraine, research shows

  • ‘Fortress Russia’ uses host of mechanisms to take major assets
  • Some domestic businesses also face nationalization, report says

MOSCOW: Russian authorities have confiscated assets worth some $50 billion over the past three years, underscoring the scale of the transformation into a “fortress Russia” economic model during the war in Ukraine, research showed on Wednesday.
The conflict has been accompanied by a significant transfer of assets as many Western companies fled the Russian market, others’ assets were expropriated and the assets of some major Russian businesses were seized by the state.
In response to what Russia called illegal actions by the West, President Vladimir Putin signed decrees over the past three years allowing the seizure of Western assets, entangling firms ranging from Germany’s Uniper to Danish brewer Carlsberg.
Besides the Western assets, major domestic companies have changed hands on the basis of different legal mechanisms including the need for strategic resources, corruption claims, alleged privatization violations, or poor management.
Moscow law firm NSP (Nektorov, Saveliev & Partners) said that the scale of what it called the “nationalization” amounted to 3.9 trillion roubles over three years, and it listed the companies involved.
The research was first reported by Kommersant, one of Russia’s leading newspapers, which said it illustrated a “fortress Russia” economic model.
The 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union ushered in hopes that Russia could transform into a free-market economy integrated into the global economy, but vast corruption, economic turmoil and organized crime undermined confidence in democratic capitalism through the 1990s.
Putin, in his first eight years in power, supported economic freedoms, targeted some so-called oligarchs and presided over a significant growth of the economy to $1.8 trillion in 2008 from $200 billion in 1999.
In the 2008-2022 period, the economy grew to $2.3 trillion, though Western sanctions hit it hard after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, according to figures from the International Monetary Fund.
Though the Russian economy has performed better than expected during the war in Ukraine, its nominal dollar size in 2024 was just $2.2 trillion, according to IMF figures, much smaller than China, the European Union or United States.

‘Fortress Russia’
Russian officials say that the Ukraine war — the biggest confrontation with the West since the depths of the Cold War — has demanded extraordinary measures to prevent what they say was a clear Western attempt to sink the Russian economy.
Putin says the exit of Western firms has allowed domestic producers to take their place and that the Western sanctions have forced domestic business to develop. He has called for a “new development model” distinct from “outdated globalization.”
But the wartime economy, geared toward producing weapons and supporting a long conflict with Ukraine, has put the state — and those officials who operate it — in a much more powerful position than private Russian businesses.
Russian prosecutors are now seeking to seize billionaire Konstantin Strukov’s majority stake in major gold producer Uzhuralzoloto (UGC) for the state.
More than a thousand companies — from McDonald’s to Mercedes-Benz — have left Russia since the February 2022 start of Russia’s war in Ukraine by selling, handing the keys to existing managers or simply abandoning their assets.
Others had their assets seized and a sale forced through. 


Many Liberians take offense after Trump praises their president’s English

Updated 1 min 25 sec ago
Follow

Many Liberians take offense after Trump praises their president’s English

  • In a meeting on Wednesday, Trump asked President Boakai where he had learned to speak the language “so beautifully”
  • English has been the official language of Liberia since the country’s founding in the 1800s by freed slaves from the US

MONROVIA, Liberia: US President Donald Trump’s praise of the “beautiful” English of Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai drew confusion Thursday in the English-speaking African country and umbrage over what many considered condescending remarks.
“Such good English,” Trump said to Boakai during an event at the White House, with visible surprise. “Such beautiful English.”
Although English has been the official language of Liberia since the country’s founding in the 1800s, Trump asked Boakai where he had learned to speak the language “so beautifully,” and continued as Boakai murmured a response. “Where were you educated? Where? In Liberia?”

 

The exchange took place Wednesday during a meeting in the White House between Trump and five West African leaders, amid a pivot from aid to trade in US foreign policy.
Boakai’s government said it took no offense at Trump’s remarks, but other groups in Liberia described the remarks as an insult.
The White House declined to comment on whether Trump was aware that English was Liberia’s official language. Massad Boulos, the president’s senior adviser for Africa, stressed that Trump “actually complimented the language skills of the Liberian president,” and that everyone at the meeting was ”deeply appreciative” of the president’s time and effort.
Trump’s comments draw mixed reaction
Liberia has had deep ties with the United States for two centuries, stemming from the drive to relocate freed slaves from the United States. It started in the 1820s when the Congress- and slaveholder-funded American Colonization Society began sending freed slaves to its shores. In 1847, the growing Americo-Liberian settlers declared themselves independent, setting up a government to rule over a native African majority.

Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti said on X that “President Trump’s comment on Boakai’s ‘beautiful English’ simply acknowledged Liberia’s familiar American-rooted accent and no offense was taken.”
“Our linguistic heritage is deeply American‑influenced, & this was simply recognized by @realDonaldTrump. We remain committed to strengthening Liberia‑US ties, built on mutual respect, shared values, and meaningful partnership,” the minister said.
Foday Massaquio, chairman of Liberia’s opposition Congress for Democratic Change-Council of Patriots, said the remarks exemplified Trump’s lack of respect for foreign leaders, particularly African ones.
“President Trump was condescending, he was very disrespectful to the African leader,” Massaquio said, adding that it “proves that the West is not taking us seriously as Africans.”
Comments add to alarm over aid cuts
For many observers, Trump’s comments added to the sense of alarm and even betrayal over cuts in US aid to the African country.
The decision by US authorities earlier this month to dissolve the US Agency for International Development sent shockwaves across Liberia. American support previously had made up almost 2.6 percent of the gross national income, the highest percentage anywhere in the world, according to the Center for Global Development.
Liberians thought they would be spared from Trump’s cuts because of the countries’ close relationship. Their political system is modeled on that of the US, along with its flag. Liberians often refer to the US as their “big brother.”

Liberia's flag is patterned after the flag of the United States and is sometimes referred to as the Lone Star. 

Liberia was one of the first countries to receive USAID support, starting in 1961. The street signs, taxis and school buses resemble those in New York.
“Liberia is a long standing friend of the USA, therefore Trump should have understood that we speak English as an official language,” said Moses Dennis, 37, a businessman from Monrovia.
Condescension or praise?
Siokin Civicus Barsi-Giah, a close associate of former President George Weah, echoed the notion that Trump should have known that Liberians speak English.
“Liberia is an English speaking country,” he said. “Former slaves and slave owners decided to organize themselves to let go of many people who were in slavery in the United States of America, and they landed on these shores now called the Republic of Liberia.”
For him, the exchange was “condescending and ridiculing,” and he said: “Joseph Boakai was not praised. He was mocked by the greatest president in the world.”
Some observers, however, said that they believed Trump’s remarks genuinely were intended as praise.
“To some, the comment may carry a whiff of condescension, echoing a long-standing Western tendency to express surprise when African leaders display intellectual fluency,” said Abraham Julian Wennah, a researcher at the African Methodist Episcopal University.
But if one looks at “Trump’s rhetorical style,” the remarks were “an acknowledgment of Boakai’s polish, intellect, and readiness for global engagement,” he said.


Years later, key figures in Russia investigation face new scrutiny from Trump administration

Updated 11 July 2025
Follow

Years later, key figures in Russia investigation face new scrutiny from Trump administration

  • Former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan targetted in probe by Trump administration
  • Comey and Brennanamid were central players in the 2017 intel assessment on Russian election interference in the 2016 US election

WASHINGTON: FBI Director Kash Patel pledged at his confirmation hearing that the bureau would not look backward, but the Trump administration’s fresh scrutiny of the Russia investigation has brought back into focus a years-old inquiry that continues to infuriate the Republican president.
The Justice Department appeared to acknowledge in an unusual statement this week the existence of investigations into two central players from that saga, former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan, amid a new report revisiting a 2017 intelligence community assessment on Russian election interference.
That the Russia investigation, which shadowed President Donald Trump through his first term, would resurface is hardly surprising given Trump’s lingering ire over the inquiry and because longtime allies, including Patel and current CIA Director John Ratcliffe, now lead the same agencies whose actions they once lambasted. Whether anything new will be found is unclear in light of the numerous prior reviews on the subject, but Trump has long called for investigations into Comey and Brennan, and Patel — in his memoir — placed them on a list of “members of the Executive Branch Deep State” deserving of derision.
“The conduct at issue or alleged conduct at issue has been the subject of numerous other investigations — IG investigations, special counsel investigations, other internal investigations, congressional investigations. And none of those past investigations turned up any evidence that led to criminal charges against any senior officials,” said Greg Brower, a former FBI senior executive and ex-US attorney in Nevada.
Word of the inquiry came as FBI and Justice Department leaders scramble to turn the page from mounting criticism from prominent conservatives for failing to release much-hyped files from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation. And as federal investigators have taken steps to examine the actions of other perceived adversaries of the administration, fueling concerns that the administration is weaponizing the criminal justice system for partisan purposes.
At issue now is a newly declassified CIA report, ordered by Ratcliffe, that faults Brennan’s oversight of a 2017 intelligence community assessment that found that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election because Russian President Vladimir Putin aspired to see Trump beat Democratic opponent Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The report does not challenge that conclusion but chides Brennan for the fact that a classified version of the intelligence assessment included a two-page summary of the so-called “Steele dossier,” a compilation of opposition research from a former British spy that included salacious and uncorroborated rumors about Trump’s ties to Russia.
Brennan testified to Congress, and also wrote in his memoir, that he was opposed to citing the dossier in the intelligence assessment since neither its substance nor sources had been validated. He has said it was included at the FBI’s urging.
But the new report casts Brennan’s views in a different light, asserting that he “showed a preference for narrative consistency over analytical soundness” and brushed aside concerns over the dossier because of its “conformity with existing theories.” It quotes him, without context, as having written that “my bottomline is that I believe that the information warrants inclusion in the report.”
Fox News reported Tuesday evening that the FBI had begun investigating Brennan for potentially making false statements to Congress as well as Comey, though the basis for that inquiry is unclear. A person familiar with the matter confirmed to The Associated Press that Ratcliffe, a staunch Trump defender and vocal critic of the Russia investigation, had referred Brennan to the FBI for possible investigation.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a referral that has not been made public.
A Justice Department spokesperson issued a statement Wednesday referencing, without elaboration, the “criminal investigations” of Brennan and Comey, saying the department did not comment on “ongoing investigations.” It was not clear if the statement also referred to the continued scrutiny of Comey over the Instagram post. The FBI declined to comment.
Representatives for the men declined to comment this week, though Brennan said in an MSNBC interview on Wednesday that he had not been contacted by the FBI and knew nothing about an inquiry. He said he remained proud of the work intelligence agencies did to examine Russian interference in the 2016 election.
“I think this is unfortunately a very sad and tragic example of the continued politicization of the intelligence community, of the national security process,” Brennan said. “And quite frankly, I’m really shocked that individuals who are willing to sacrifice their reputations, their credibility, their decency to continue to do Donald Trump’s bidding on something that is clearly just politically based.”
A lengthy investigation by former special counsel John Durham that reviewed the intelligence community assessment as well as the broader Russia investigation did not find fault with Brennan.
Comey has separately been interviewed by the Secret Service after a social media post that Republicans insisted was a call for violence against Trump. Comey has said he did not mean the Instagram post as a threat and removed it as soon as he realized it was being interpreted that way.
The Justice Department has taken steps in recent months to scrutinize other people out of favor with Trump opening inquiries into whether former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo lied to Congress about his state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and into whether New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has sued Trump and his company, engaged in mortgage fraud. Both have vigorously denied wrongdoing. In other instances, the Justice Department has been directed by Trump to examine the actions of ex-government officials who have criticized him.
At the same time, the department refrained from opening an investigation into administration officials who disclosed sensitive military plans on a Signal chat that mistakenly included a journalist.
“Donald Trump is not interested in justice — he’s interested in settling scores and he views the vast prosecutorial powers of the Department of Justice as a way to do that,” said Liz Oyer, who was fired in March as the Justice Department’s pardon attorney after she says she refused to endorse restoring the gun rights of actor Mel Gibson.