Written by Jehron Muhammad
West Africa’s “coup belt” widens as the continent confronts a striking resurgence of military attempts at takeovers in just the past four years. Dismantling the stability of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and undermining of flawed democracies, by constitutional violations, while former colonial masters like France seek a way at maintaining an economic foothold in Africa with its new France-Nigeria-ECOWAS military alliance.
French influence, though waning, as a result of the cutting of so-called francophone ties by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger still, through a ‘colonial pact,’ obliges several African countries to keep a large percentage of their foreign reserves in the French central bank. In the recent past nation states who resisted this system of exploitation were often removed through colonial coups or assassinations.
One hundred and ninety five years after its invasion of Algeria in 1830, France is still a major influencer in West Africa, helping coordinate armed forces of the region led by Nigeria in their recent intervention in the Benin Republic, wrote Owei Lakemva, the human rights activist and former secretary general of the African Workers, in the Nigerian based premiumtimesng.com.
France recently provided logistical support to African troops, provided surveillance and shared intelligence with Nigeria, which led the air and ground intervention in Benin Republic.
France also activated diplomatic backchannels. “President Emmanuel Macron maintained direct contact with President Talon and key ECOWAS leaders ensuring political clarity and preventing mixed signals that could have emboldened the coup plotters,’ explained truthnigeria.com
“A successful coup (in Benin) would also have cost France another key partner in a region where its influence is already receding. After being forced out of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, Benin remains one of Paris’s last cooperative partners in Francophone West Africa.”
Among those who have sent troops to ‘defend democracy’ in Benin is the 83-year-old President Alasssane Dramane Ouattara of the Ivory Coast. He has been in office since 2010. This is his fourth term in office, when the constitutional limit is two terms. But Ouattara does not appear ready to leave office soon, as he is Frances main point person.
On December 7 armed soldiers appeared on Benin’s national television and announced they had seized power in a coup. This coming right behind, what former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan condemned, in Guinea-Bissau, as a “ceremonial coup.”
Maybe the first time in history a military coup took place while a presidential election vote count was still under way. During an interview with SymFoni News, Jonathan called the announcement proceeding the coup by Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, announcing his own overthrow before a military officer later appeared to claim power, defied every known democratic practice.
In Guinea-Bissau monitoring elections, he noted, “In all his years observing political transitions, no deposed leader has ever been allowed to freely address international media and announce his own arrest, describing the scenario as ‘strange and disturbing,’” reported the Nigerian news outlet, The Point.
Discovering that President Embalo’s “ceremonial coup” had more to do with the now former president, trying to manipulate election results in his favor, its no wonder former ECOWAS chairman and current Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, responding to requests from the Beninoise government took decisive action and ordered the deployment of jets and troops to quell the December 7 attacks in Benin.
According to Nigerian news site, The Guardian, The attempted coup also heightened concerns within Nigeria’s trade and customs ecosystem, given the scale of commercial activity between both countries.
“Benin is a key transit hub for goods entering Nigeria, with Cotonou Port handling major shipments of vehicles, consumer products and agricultural commodities. Any disruption in Benin’s political environment threatens to slow imports and exports, potentially affecting markets in Lagos, Ogun and the wider southwest corridor,” noted The Guardian.
Nigeria joined by others, including France, the first military intervention to stop a coup carried out under the auspices of the 1999 ECOWAS protocol. “This protocol provides for an intervention force to protect democracy and good governance in a member state. Troops from other member states from the regional bloc have since joined the Nigerian forces to provide protection for Benin President Patrice Talon’s government,” reported african.business.
Talon, who made his fortune selling cotton, Benin’s main export, came to power after winning elections in 2016. “Under his rule Benin has witnessed significant infrastructure development and economic growth, reaching 7.5% in 2024. Though he came to power campaigning to end corruption and supporting a single five-year term for the president, he ran for re-election in 2021,” explained African Business.
Instead of honoring agreed to term limits, Talon manipulated the election, creating barriers to opposition candidates by introducing new electoral rules that hindered opposition participation, allowing the ruling party and its supporters to take most of the seats in parliament. “While opposition parties boycotted the electoral process, he seized the opportunity to consolidate his power,” noted Africa Business.
And as for the upcoming April 12, 2026 presidential election, “with Talon on rampage, opposition leaders either disqualified, in prison or on the run, the stage is set for the coronation of his hand-picked successor, the minister of state for Finance and Cooperation, 49-year-old Romuald Wadagni,” reported the Premium Times.
The Tinubu administration, having helped to rescue Talon, has a duty to ensure he and his cronies safely exits the Benin presidency, after the April 2026 elections, without further endangering the already damaged democratic process.
Perspectives in Anthropology 