Since the most recent 7th, Benin, with beaches in the Gulf of Guinea, has become the “vanguard of the African coup belt”, starting in January 2020.
Pascal Tigri, Lieutenant Colonel, seems to have wanted to go against the hit by Gil Scott-Heron, Revolution will not be televised and staged a “live coup”, occupying “RTP do Benin”! The Military Committee for Refoundation occupied national television at 8am, announcing the deposition of President (PR) Patrice Talon, the suspension of the Constitution, the dissolution of State institutions and the closure of borders. At 12pm, it was no longer like that, the Minister of the Interior, Alassane Seidou, announced that it had been “a frustrated coup”, with PR Talon subsequently appearing, as proof of life and power, when announcing the arrest of the 14 daredevils, including two soldiers.
What went wrong?
Certainly deluded that it was enough to burst into the houses and cafes of the people of Beninese, in the manner of military order, Pascal Tigri, thought, “This revolution will be televised and there is no more talk about it”! It turns out that the “ECOWAS red phone” worked and Nigeria mobilized the Air Force and land forces, to help this “wide tongue of land, from the sea to Burkina and Niger”, while neighbors positioned themselves on the border, determined not to allow this access to the sea, from the Alliance of Sahel States – AES (Mali, Niger and Burkina), dissidents from ECOWAS (Economic Community of African States Western).
This is the geopolitical game in West Africa, ECOWAS versus AES, whose access to the sea would open horizons to coup plotters, Russians and Islamists, who live or invest there.
In this context, “half-coup” means that it won’t stop here. A force that will certainly soon be confirmed as its sponsor will be Russia and its Afrika Corps. Why? Because they need water! Because they need to not depend on third parties for supplies from sea ports and because they also need to diversify land routes for the same supply. Less than a month ago, Bamako, the capital of Mali, had no gasoline, due to attacks/kidnappings by “al-Qaeda on motorbikes”!
Mali’s split with ECOWAS, in 2020 and subsequent expulsion of diplomats, military personnel and other French nationals, provided feelings and celebration, of a second independence, which has fueled a growing desire among military personnel dissatisfied with their leadership, to break with the institution and regional/international alignments.
Until the Kings there will be news here, that the dice, after being released, cannot be null!
Political scientist/Arabist
Professor at the Piaget Institute of Almada
The Author writes according to the old spelling.