Source : Sahel weather January 2025

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This is probably the first time that a terrorist attack in Benin has caused such a stir. On the evening of January 8, an attack by the al-Qaeda affiliated Groupe de soutien à l'islam et aux musulmans (GSIM) killed 30 soldiers. The attack took place at the "triple point" in Banikoara, on the border between Benin, Niger and Burkina Faso. It was the bloodiest attack in the country since the start of the jihadist threat. It was nevertheless one of the country's "strongest and most militarized" positions, laments Colonel Faizou Gomina, Chief of Staff of the National Guard, who admits: "We have been dealt a very hard blow." The missing soldiers belonged to Operation Mirador, an anti-terrorism unit created in February 2022 and numbering some 3,000 men. The attack prompted the Chief of Staff of the Benin Armed Forces (FAB), General Fructueux Gbaguidi, to convene an extraordinary military council.

Emotions were also felt by the opposition. This was the case for the Les Démocrates (LD) party, which deplored a "national tragedy on a massive scale". Nevertheless, the political group took the opportunity to launch an appeal. "We (...) are in a sub-region, and these lawless men who sometimes strike on our territory, strike on the Beninese side and take refuge in the other countries around us. So for us, if there is no military cooperation (...) this fight against this nebula will be very difficult", declared Guy Mitokpè, the party's spokesman. The Catholic Church - through its bishops - expressed its sympathy to the nation and to the bereaved families. ECOWAS then issued a statement condemning the attack, while expressing its solidarity with the Beninese people. Further proof of the emotion aroused, the Confédération Syndicale des Travailleurs du Bénin (CSTB) announced a demonstration to demand, it said, the withdrawal of French military forces from the country, perceived as aggravating the terrorist threat. The demonstration was eventually banned. During a session in Parliament, LD deputies expressly asked the government to make a clear statement on the issue of the French military presence. So far, the government has repeatedly dismissed this information as false. The latest denial came from government spokesman Wilfried Houngbadji, who described the rumours as "irresponsible and unpatriotic", and as "playing into the enemy's hands".

New dice cast for the 2026 presidential election

In a ten-minute video posted on his social networks, pan-Africanist activist Kémi Séba announced his intention to run for president in 2026. "After years of reflection, I have decided to accept your incessant requests aimed at pushing me to be a candidate for the presidency of Benin," he declared. Before continuing, "Benin is experiencing an unprecedented social crisis (...) which favors the richest while almost the entire population lives in conditions that are beyond comprehension", he justified, accusing President Talon of bad governance and "persecution" of his political opponents.

In a petition sent to the Constitutional Court on January 24, Christian Lagnidé, Talon's former minister, raised a number of questions he considers "of capital importance for the stability and future" of the country. In his note, he poses two main questions: "Are we really in a new Republic since 2019? Can President Patrice Talon, in any case, be a candidate in the 2026 presidential election?". That was all it took to start a controversy, just when we thought the debate on Talon's inability to run for a third term was over. While this appeal is being examined, five jurists have lodged an appeal for unconstitutionality against the request, which they consider to be unfounded.

Heavy sentences for Boko and Homeky

20 years in prison, 60 billion CFA francs in damages and 4.5 billion CFA francs in fines. This is the sentence finally handed down by the Court for the Repression of Economic Offences and Terrorism (Criet) against businessman Olivier Boko and former Sports Minister Oswald Homeky. The two former close allies of President Talon were found guilty of "conspiracy against the authority of the State, corruption of a public official, and false certification." Rock Nieri, Olivier Boko's brother-in-law - currently on the run - was also convicted.

In addition, the former president of the Parti du renouveau démocratique (PRD) took advantage of the New Year's greetings from some of his party's veterans to express his views on the country's political situation. The former president of the National Assembly described the situation as worrying. "We didn't want Beninese people to be in prison for offenses of opinion. (...) My strong conviction is that political prisoners must be released. My strong conviction is that those who are in exile must come back. That's how we organized the National Conference", he pleaded.