Benin - Islamic Insurgency

Benin is a constitutional presidential republic. In 1990, Benin was the first country to enter the phase of democratic transition which then traveled through French-speaking Africa. This transition opens the way to a period of political change.

On 11 April 2021, voters elected Patrice Talon in a multiparty election to a second five-year term as president. Registration and sponsorship requirements incorporated in the electoral code in 2019 and implemented during municipal elections excluded most opposition political parties from participating in the election. According to the government National Electoral Commission, voter turnout declined from 65 percent in 2016 to 50 percent; however, civil society organizations estimated voter turnout at only 27 percent.

The Beninese Armed Forces under the Ministry of Defense are responsible for external security and support the Republican Police in maintaining internal security. The Republican Police are under the Ministry of Interior and have primary responsibility for enforcing law and maintaining order. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control over security forces. There were reliable reports that members of the security forces committed some abuses.

Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: unlawful or arbitrary killings, including extrajudicial killings by government forces; harsh and lifethreatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; political prisoners or detainees; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; serious restrictions on free expression and media, including censorship and the existence of criminal libel laws; substantial interference with freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association.

There were numerous reports of political prisoners or detainees. The nongovernmental Organization for the Defense of Human and Peoples’ Rights reported there were political prisoners at the Cotonou, Parakou, Abomey, and Akpro-Misserete Prisons. From January to September 2021, approximately 200 nonviolent individuals reportedly were arrested for politically motivated reasons, with most awaiting trial in preventative detention. According to human rights organization representatives, not all arrests, charges, or locations of those detained were made public, and the families of those arrested were reticent to share information, fearing retribution.

The government frequently restricted freedom of peaceful assembly on political grounds. ermits are required prior to holding protests, but authorities regularly denied or ignored requests for permits. Authorities sometimes cited “public order” to prevent demonstrations by opposition groups, civil society organizations, and labor unions. There were several reported instances similar to the following example. On 24 July 2021, the mayor of Parakou rejected a request by a civil society organization for a demonstration to be held on July 25 protesting high food prices.

In 2020, Benin faced two exogenous shocks: the fall in trade with Nigeria, caused by the closure of the border (since August 2019) and the global health crisis. However, Benin was able to count – as in 2019 – on the continued growth of cotton production (620,000 tonnes of seed cotton in 2018-2019 and 700,000 tonnes expected in 2019-2020), on the continuation of infrastructure projects ( urban roads, electricity networks, drinking water) as part of the implementation of the government's action program and, later, on the start of construction of the Niger-Benin pipeline by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

Benin — in particular its northern regions — is strategically significant for a fresh jihadist advance for a number of reasons. On the one hand, Beninese security forces do not appear sufficiently organized or equipped to effectively respond to the threat. The geography of the area also helps facilitate jihadist and criminal activities. An immense patchwork of nature reserves stretches over a territory of more than 32,000 square kilometers, connecting Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger, aiding the uncontrolled transit of goods and people across borders.

According to Oswald Padonou, the President of the Beninese Association of Strategic Studies and Security, the scale of the looming crisis was initially underestimated in Benin. "At first, it was thought to be a phenomenon of transiting jihadists in the border areas," he says. "Today, we're talking about micro-cells and recruitment in the north of Benin … The Islamic extremist phenomenon has gradually found space in the most marginalized areas."

Benin's northern regions have endured an increasing number of attacks by Islamic militias since 2018. A security crisis which began in the Sahel over a decade ago has now moved further south. Cross-border attacks are becoming increasingly common as part of the jihadists' regional repositioning strategy, according to the Institute for Security Studies and the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. "In these cross-border areas, we are faced with 'bridges' between different criminal identities," explains Padonou. "There are passers-by and traffickers and even the abduction industry in northwest Nigeria bordering Benin is certainly not insignificant."

By 2022 the Group to Support Islam and Muslims, or GSIM/JNIM, is widely considered to be the most powerful militant jihadist group in the Sahel region. Ambushes and attacks with improvised explosives have led to several military casualties. But locals, too, are growing increasingly afraid as the security situation continues to unravel.

Benin's northern regions are home to the country's poorest. Many towns and communities lack basic infrastructure and services, including hospitals and schools. The area is also already experiencing the harsh effects of climate change. According to the Climate Service Center Germany, rainfall has decreased drastically, while soil erosion is increasing alongside more frequent periods of drought. Desertification and deforestation is also intensifying: Global Forest Watch estimates that Benin has lost more than 20% of its forests since 2000. These factors likely play a role in the rise of inter-community conflicts.

According to a study by US-based analysis group, ACLED and the Dutch think tank, Clingendael, violent incidents have increased by more than 30% in Benin since 2017 especially in the central and northern regions. The pressures of poverty and climate change have created shifting dynamics in Benin's most vulnerable region — dynamics which jihadist groups are now trying to exploit.