Benin is the latest victim of backsliding in West Africa

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Romuald Wadagni, a former Deloitte audit manager and finance minister of Benin, has been confirmed as his country’s new president.

So what? His 94% vote share has raised eyebrows. Benin was once held up as a beacon of democracy in West Africa. But freedoms have been steadily eroded and Wadagni triumphed almost unchallenged. This has become a familiar story in a region that is

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  prone to coups;

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  threatened by jihadist violence; and

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  experiencing a wave of democratic backsliding.

Backstory. The rot set in under Patrice Talon, the current president, who is leaving office after a decade. His administration introduced restrictive electoral laws, muzzled independent media and shrunk Benin’s civil space. There are no opposition MPs in parliament, and the main opposition party did not meet the high bar for running a candidate in the recent election.

Same old. Wadagni has said he has a “father-and-son” relationship with Talon and has pledged to continue his economic agenda, which has brought high growth rates but failed to alleviate entrenched poverty.

Challenges ahead. Wadagni will be under pressure to do more to tackle jihadist activity in the north of the country, which has soared in recent years. Talon’s failure to stamp out terrorism was one of the reasons soldiers gave for attempting a coup in December.

Rebel army. This failed takeover involved more than 100 troops, some of whom stormed a national television station and announced their intention to install a colonel in Talon’s place.

Mixed bag. The coup was thwarted by the Economic Community of West African States, which sent soldiers to help Benin’s government. But the grouping has been unsuccessful elsewhere.

Coups I did it again. There have been more than 200 attempted takeovers on the continent since the 1950s. In West Africa alone, there have been six successful military coups in as many years. Mali and Burkina Faso have had two each since 2020.

Common threads. As in Benin, jihadist violence has been a common justification for recent coups. West Africa has become a hub of international terrorism, with Islamist groups taking advantage of grievances and weak institutions. Several military juntas have replaced western military missions with Russian mercenaries, but been unable to prevent violence. They have also withdrawn from Ecowas, fragmenting regional counter-terror efforts.

Nous ne sommes pas français. Most of Africa’s 21st century coups have happened in former French colonies. This is not a coincidence. France continues to exert significant control over the CFA Franc, the currency of 14 African states, and, until recently, maintained a solid military presence in Francophone West Africa. Coup leaders have often capitalised on local grievances against the French to justify regime change.

Narrow escapes. There are eight countries in Francophone West Africa. Only three have avoided the recent wave of coups. One is Benin. The other two are Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire.

Problems remain. Senegal recently had a democratic transition, although the lead up to its election was marred by deadly protests. In Côte d’Ivoire, false rumours of a coup circulated last year, partly because activists were fed up with the perceived autocratic nature of their leaders.

What’s more… There is some hope that 49-year-old Wadagni will be able to connect with politically alienated young people in Benin, a country with an average age of 18. But the manner of Wadagni’s victory means he is off to an inauspicious start.

Photograph by Olympia de Maismont/AFP/Getty Images