UPSC Prelims 2023 GS Paper I · Q98 of 98 Current Events medium

In the recent years Chad, Guinea, Mali and Sudan caught the international attention for which one of the following reasons common to all of them?

  1. (a) Discovery of rich deposits of rare earth elements
  2. (b) Establishment of Chinese military bases
  3. (c) Southward expansion of Sahara Desert
  4. (d) Successful coups ✓ UPSC's answer

Why the answer is (d)

• Chad (2021, military takeover after President Déby's death), Guinea (September 2021), Mali (2020 and 2021) and Sudan (October 2021) all experienced successful military coups within about a year of each other — option (d).

• Together with Burkina Faso and Niger, they form what has been called Africa's 'coup belt' across the Sahel.

• None of the four is notable for new rare-earth discoveries or Chinese military bases (China's only African base is in Djibouti), and desertification, while real, is not what drew international attention.

• Hence option (d).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) Discovery of rich deposits of rare earth elements
No major rare-earth discoveries link these four countries.
(b) Establishment of Chinese military bases
China has no military bases in these countries.
(c) Southward expansion of Sahara Desert
Desertification is not the shared reason for recent attention.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2023, held on 28 May 2023. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

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