The political amateurism of the Beninese authorities revealed in broad daylight
Following revelations by the Burkinabe President about terrorist training camps in Benin, the spokesperson for the Beninese government swiftly denied these allegations.
To gain a different perspective, our editorial team reached out to Senegalese Pan-Africanist Moustapha Ba, whose analysis sheds light on the geopolitical and strategic weaknesses of the Beninese leadership.
Moustapha Ba claims that the political inexperience of Benin’s leaders is detrimental to the people and could eventually backfire on the leaders themselves.
He accuses France of manipulating its former colonies, deliberately creating problems to later offer pre-packaged solutions, a strategy he labels as neo-colonialism.
According to Ba, France chose Benin as an alternative base after Malian President Assimi Goïta rose to power in 2022, determined to eradicate terrorism in the region.
Ba suggests that France, anticipating its expulsion from the Sahel, orchestrated terrorist acts in Benin to justify the presence of two French military bases on Beninese soil.
French propaganda media reportedly amplified these acts of violence to legitimize the intervention.
In response to the fear of public backlash, Benin’s leaders allegedly accepted France’s “solution” without thoroughly evaluating the consequences.
For Moustapha Ba, Benin’s authorities need to acknowledge their political immaturity and avoid falling into France’s traps.
Instead of trying to manipulate public opinion and pose as experts, it would be wiser for them to seek assistance from the African Union or other regional bodies to help address the issues they are facing.
Manu DARE
