Benin
Benin performs in the mid-range across all categories of the Global State of Democracy (GSoD) framework. Over the past five years, performance has either stagnated or trended downwards, with declines across factors of Representation, as well as in Access to Justice, Civil Liberties, Judicial Independence, Personal Integrity and Security, Electoral Participation, and Civil Society. Conversely, there has been an improvement in Absence of Corruption, reflecting recent efforts to crack down on graft. Economically, Benin remains reliant on agriculture - particularly cotton - as well as gold mining.
Benin, formerly known as Dahomey, was at one time one of the great kingdoms of West Africa. The country gradually came under the control of the French starting in the 1600s and became an independent nation in 1960. While Benin was governed by the authoritarian regime of Mathieu Kérékou from 1972 to 1991, the country transitioned to a more democratic, multiparty system in 1991. For many years after that, it was seen as a regional, democratic leader. Since 2016, however, the government has been criticized for undermining political institutions by coopting the legislature, subverting the independence of the judiciary and suppressing the media. Electoral reforms introduced in 2018 imposed stringent new procedural requirements that clearly disadvantaged opposition parties and prevented them from participating in the 2019 legislative elections. The exclusion of the opposition parties led to record low voter turnout, large-scale protests, arbitrary arrests, and an Internet shutdown. Subsequent elections, including for local government and for the presidency in 2020 and 2021, respectively, further cemented the power of the governing party.
Despite the significant obstacles presented by the revised electoral code, three opposition parties were approved by the constitutional court to participate in the 2023 legislative election, with the largest of these achieving the 10 per cent vote share needed to win seats in the 109-member National Assembly. The government has said that its electoral and judicial reforms are meant to modernize the country, end corruption and inefficiency and provide incentives for politicians to work across ethnic lines and form broader coalitions. More than fifty ethnic groups are present in Benin, with the Fon being the largest at 38.4 per cent of the population. Interethnic and communal violence has been a concern, particularly in the North, where there are disputes over agricultural land ownership and tensions between farmers and herders.
Several other issues also drive politics in the West African nation. Corruption has long been in the spotlight, and development is a major issue. Despite growth in economic output, hunger remains widespread, and poverty rates have even climbed in certain years. Issues of social inequity are also salient. People with albinism regularly face discrimination, and a UN report found that a national plan of action against racism had been only partially implemented. While progress has occurred on women’s rights issues, including the election of the first female vice president, rates of gender-based violence remain very high.
Looking ahead, it will be important to watch Representation and Rights, especially in light of the return of opposition parties to parliament for the first time in four years. The 2026 presidential election, when the current president will be term-limited, will constitute an important potential turning point.
Last updated: July 2024
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
March 2025
Bénin Web TV suspended indefinitely over budget report
On 12 March, Benin’s media regulator, the High Authority for Audiovisual and Communication (HAAC), issued an indefinite suspension of privately owned news site Bénin Web TV, after the outlet aired a program that reported on the regulator’s budget. HAAC accused the outlet of broadcasting ‘false information’ and ‘seriously undermining the institution's credibility.’ Bénin Web TV published three letters from HAAC alongside responses from its own director, Paul Arnaud Deguenon, explaining that the outlet’s reporting was based on HAAC’s own 2025 budget presentation and public statement. HAAC also withdrew Deguenon’s press card. The suspension appears to contravene HAAC’s own 2023 authorization of Bénin Web TV’s operations, which stipulates that suspensions for failing to comply with official warnings may not exceed one month. This follows its suspension of six other media outlets in January, a decision that has not yet been reversed.
Sources: Benin Web TV, High Authority for Audiovisual and Communication (HAAC) (1), HAAC (2), HAAC (3), West Africa Democracy Radio, Committee to Protect Journalists
January 2025
Deadliest attack on Beninese security forces recorded
On 8 January, al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) fighters launched a mass attack on a military base in northern Benin’s Alibori department, killing at least 28 soldiers and burning down the site. The assault, the deadliest ever suffered by the Beninese armed forces, underscores the country’s growing security challenges amid increasing attacks in the northern region linked to jihadist groups based in neighbouring countries. In response, the military claim to have launched a counter-offensive, reportedly killing 40 jihadists. On 13 January, the army convened an extraordinary military council, highlighting recruitment and equipment issues impeding counter-insurgency efforts. More than 120 Beninese soldiers are thought to have been killed in similar attacks between 2021 and December 2024.
Sources: International Crisis Group, Jeune Afrique, Punch Nigeria, British Broadcasting Corporation, Agence de Presse Africaine News
September 2024
Coup plot thwarted as ex-minister, businessman and military commander arrested
On 25 September, authorities in Benin anounced that they had thwarted a coup attempt aimed at overthrowing the government, which they said has been planned for 27 September. Former Sports Minister Oswald Homeky, businessman Olivier Boko, and the head of the Republican Guard – who is also responsible for President Patrice Talon's security – were arrested on suspicion of involvement and taken into custody. The arrests were preceded by the commencement of an ongoing state investigation, which allegedly found that Homeky and Boko bribed Republican Guard commander Djimon Dieudonne Tevoedjre to not resist the coup. The involvement of high-ranking figures raises concerns about the potential for future political instability.
Sources: BBC, Reuters, News Central, Africa News, Anadolu Agency
March 2024
New electoral law raises thresholds for representation in parliament
The National Assembly of Benin passed an amendment to the electoral law on 5 March. The amended law raises the threshold that parties must surpass in order to have any representation in the National Assembly from 10 per cent of the votes in an electoral district to 20 (though there is an exception for parties that join coalitions). It also raises the level of support needed to stand as a candidate for the presidency, now requiring that a candidate be sponsored by at least 15 per cent (up from 10) of the representatives and mayors across the country. The amendment limits the exercise of this sponsorship to presidential candidates who represent the same party as the sponsor. Critics of the amendments claim that the changes will entrench the current party system further. The amendments were reviewed by the Constitutional Court, which found them to comply with the constitution. The amended law was then promulgated by President Talon on 19 March.
Sources: Présidence de la République, Jeune Afrique, La Nouvelle Tribune, L’Autre Quotidien
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