Islamist insurgency wey dey spread don dominate Benin presidential campaign

As fear dey grow say di militant Islamist insurgency wey don take over big parts of West Africa dey spread go more places, security don dominate campaign matter for Benin – one kontri wey befor dey peaceful well well.

Sunday presidential election dey come about four months afta outgoing President Patrice Talon escape coup attempt, wen Nigeria – di big power for di region – send warplanes go bomb di mutiny soldiers wey try overthrow am.

Nigeria intervention stop Benin from following di path of some oda countries for di region like Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali wiamilitary don take power for recent years as pipo lose confidence for civilian governments wey no fit stop militants wey dey connected to al-Qaeda or Islamic State (IS).

Di threat wey insurgents pose to Benin show clearly when one al-Qaeda group wey dem dey call JNIM kill 15 sojas last month for attack on military base for Kofouno, near Niger border.

E show say di problem still dey kontinu, as last year 28 Benin soldiers die for January attack inside W National Park, wey stretch enter Niger and Burkina Faso, and another 54 die three months later for di same park making am di highest number of soldiers wey insurgents don kill for one place.

National Park and two oda parks near am Pendjari and Arly na di biggest protected forest areas for West Africa, covering about 1.7 million hectares.

Di forests thick well well, and di borders for di region no tight, making am easy for militants to build bases and move between countries without security forces noticing them.

Violence monitoring group Acled tok say attack don increase sharp sharp for di border areas between Niger, Benin and Nigeria, and e don turn those remote routes wey pipo dey pass befor into serious conflict zones.

As di attacks dey increase, at least 1,000 pipo don die for those border areas for 2025, wey pass double di number wey happun for 2024, according to Acled.

Di attacks don make pipo for di area fear well well, as one school teacher tell BBC say: "We just wan work, make we teach di youth, but e don dey very hard now.

"We no fit imagine say our kontri go turn like Nigeria wit Boko Haram threat, wey don kill plenty pipo."

As she dey tok her fear, one woman wey get one pikin say: "We dey fear to go farm.

"I no know wetin to do or wia to go. Anytime, those guys fit come here come rape us, thief our tins or even kill us. E no easy.

"Benin no deserve dis. Di youth no deserve dis."

To try calm voters fear, candidate of di ruling coalition, Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, 49, start im campaign for March for Kandi, one important trading town near Niger and Nigeria border, before e waka go oda northern areas like Banikoara and Ségbana, two places wey attacks don affect well well.

For front of thousands of supporters, e promise say di safety of evri resident go be "daily priority" if e enta office.

"We no go allow any dark forces come take our land or threaten citizens. We go make sure say our whole kontri dey under protection," e tok.

As e dey launch im campaign for di economic capital, Cotonou, im only rival, Paul Hounkpè, 56, take similar stand, tok say: "We must join hands wit our neighbours witout losing our dignity.

"Benin no fit act alone, strong cooperation with Niger and Burkina Faso dey very important."

Hounkpè own view dey important, because Benin relationship wit those two kontries don go down wella afta di coups wey happun dia.

Di West African regional bloc Ecowas wey Benin be member suspend Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, and for Niger case, dem even threaten military intervention to bring back di civilian president.

Di three kontris fight back by forming dia own group and turn go Russia side, accuse Ecowas say dem be agents of Western powers sometin wey Ecowas deny.

Wadagni sef don show support to improve relationship wit di military-led kontris, even though pipo see am say e closer to Western powers pass Hounkpè, wey serve as culture minister under Boni Yayi govment.

Gen Abdourahmane Tiani lead am, Niger relationship with Benin dey very tense.

Niger don keep border between the two kontris close since Gen Tiani take power for 2023, as dem accuse Benin say dem dey do "hostile manoeuvres" from dia territory – sometin wey Talon govment deny.

Talon dey step down afta im two terms finish, and im supporters say e maintain Benin image as democracy – very important at a time wey military rulers like Burkina Faso Capt Ibrahim Traoré dey push idea say democracy "dey kill" and pipo suppose "forget" am.

But Talon critics say democracy don suffer under im rule, as changes to electoral laws and party registration rules reduce opposition participation well well.

Dem point to di fact say di main opposition party candidate, di Democrats, no qualify for di presidential race bicos e no get enough sponsors.

On di other hand, Hounkpè candidacy – according to one report by di Institute of Security Studies happen "only through political deal wit di ruling coalition," wey give am di sponsors wey e need to meet di legal requirements.

As Democrats no dey for di race, many of dia big members don support Wadagni, maybe bicos dem believe say na im go win and fit give dem position for govment.

But Hounkpè still dey confident say e go win, as e believe say e represent change.

No matter who win, most pipo for Benin expect smooth handover of power, and dem hope say di next leader go do better to improve relationship wit neighbouring kontris and control di insurgency wey don cause serious wahala for di region.