from EMEKA OKONKWO in Abuja, Nigeria
Nigeria Bureau
ABUJA, (CAJ News) – THE killing of 54 soldiers by non-state armed groups in Benin, in April, underlines escalating volatility in West Africa.
Benin is coincidentally enduring political tensions.
The new Electoral Code is attracting criticism from the opposition and civil society.
The Episcopal Conference returned to the issue at the end of May, recommending concrete actions to ensure inclusive, transparent and peaceful elections.
Niger, equally going through political upheaval since the 2023 coup, in May announced that the border with Benin would remain closed until further notice, citing the presence of “destabilizing French troops.”
In Ivory Coast, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and aid agencies report the security situation remains stable, with one reported incident, consistent with previous periods.
In late April, Ivory Coast’s armed forces arrested two members of a non-state armed group after they illegally crossed the border into Ivorian territory.
Pre-election tensions persist, as several thousands of people mobilised in the capital Abidjan following the removal of Tidjane Thiam from the electoral register on the basis of his nationality on May 3 and 4.
At the end of that month, a mobilisation was organised to protest the exclusion of key opposition figures from the presidential election.
Rivalries between Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast escalated when the Burkinabe security minister announced that a coup had been foiled, designating Ivory Coast as a base of operations.
In Ghana, sporadic clashes between community militias and security forces over the chieftaincy conflict in Bawku has resulted in the deaths of several civilians.
UNOCHA also lamented the crisis in Togo, where President Faure Essozimna’s transition to the post of Prime Minister, which has no time limit, has led to protests.
Opposition parties call it a constitutional coup by the man who has led since 2005.
These are pressing issues for the Nigerian-headquartered Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
– CAJ News