Trending 
Benin Republic’s worsening insecurity will pose a major challenge for the winner of the upcoming elections. President Patrice Talon’s administration is slowly drawing to a close and Beninese citizens will head to the polls on Sunday to elect a successor.
Talon chose Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni as his successor. He is up for the presidential seat against Paul Hounkpe. Whoever emerges victorious among these two will lead the country for five years and shoulder the responsibility of providing a permanent solution to the country’s persistent terrorist attacks, which are ravaging the northern region.
According to the NGO ACLED, which tracks conflicts worldwide, terrorists have “taken root” in northern Benin. Talon confirmed this in a national address at the end of 2024.
“The only area where we are still struggling remains the fight against terrorism on the country’s northern border,” said Talon.
Terrorists are trooping into the northern region of Benin through the Sahel, the region worst hit by terrorism worldwide. A Beninese security expert, who requested anonymity, told AFP that violence has severely affected an already fragile regional economy in the country’s least developed area.
“Insecurity is already hindering agricultural production in some localities where schools remain closed. This worsens the situation and triggers population displacements,” the expert told AFP.
A shopkeeper in Segbana, a town bordering Nigeria, which is plagued by jihadist attacks, told AFP he had considered moving elsewhere.
“But where could I go? How can I start over when I’ve always lived here?” he said.
Northern Benin’s Pendjari National Park, once a tourist attraction known for its Big Game, which borders Burkina Faso and Niger, has become a haven for terrorists from the Sahel branch of Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, who infiltrate from neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.
A former park ranger, Boniface (not real name), who spoke with AFP, recalled that he used to set up cameras to monitor wildlife in the park.
The former park ranger can no longer venture into the vast reserve spanning 5,000 square kilometres (1,930 square miles) because jihadists have transformed it into a virtual no-go zone.
“Life has become very difficult here. We are unemployed, dependent on our wives, and security is nothing like it used to be,” said Boniface.
Benin has deployed 3,000 soldiers in its northern region as part of Operation Mirador, combining military action with development projects led by a civil-military unit since 2022, but they faced attacks from terrorists during President Patrice Talon’s last term in office.
The West African country has received support from France and private security companies, including the American firm Amentum, to fight terrorism. Despite the resources, Benin still struggles to curb the violence.
