A senior political figure has issued a forceful condemnation of the recent coup d’état in the Benin Republic, describing it as “an utterly unacceptable assault on constitutional order” and warning of the growing threat to democracy across West Africa.
In a statement released on Monday, the leader denounced the military takeover as reckless and dangerous, stressing that the era of military interference in governance “is long over in Africa and our sub-region.” The condemnation comes amid heightened concern that coups are increasingly occurring around election periods in affected countries.
The Benin presidential election is scheduled for April 2026, while Guinea-Bissau recently experienced a military intervention on the eve of its election result announcement. According to the statement, these developments raise fears that political actors may be exploiting the military to derail democratic processes.
“This trend is dangerous for the health of democracy in the West African sub-region and must be stopped before it becomes the rule and not the exception,” the statement read. It further emphasized that soldiers “have no business anywhere outside their barracks” and urged decisive measures to prevent any appetite for subverting democracy from taking root.
The condemnation underscores growing regional and international alarm over the resurgence of coups in West Africa, where democratic institutions remain fragile and vulnerable to political manipulation.
