West Africa is experiencing a wave of coups that have toppled governments in Mali and Burkina Faso over the past year, with another attempt in Guinea-Bissau this month. Aggrieved military brass – US-trained and partnered – deposed elected presidents and claimed control of the state. The primary reason provided by coup leaders is that the elected governments and their Western partners had failed over the past decade to rid their hinterlands of jihadist militants, particularly after France’s move to trim down its force presence throughout the Sahel region. That is good news for Russia. Observers…