Military rulers in west Africa's Sahel region may well have celebrated had a recent coup attempt in Benin resulted in another anti-Western junta in their neighbourhood, analysts said.
Not least because Benin lies on the coast and access to ports is crucial for landlocked Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger -- whose rulers formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in 2023.
kAmw@H6G6C[ 2=E9@F89 E96J H@F=5 92G6 H6=4@>65 =:<6>:?565 2==:6D :? E96 C68:@?[ @3D6CG6CD A@:?E @FE E96C6 :D ?@ 4@?4C6E6 6G:56?46 E96J 925 2 92?5 :? E96 4@FA 2EE6>AE :? q6?:?] k^Am
kAmp?2=JDED 9:89=:89E 2? 62C=J 7=@@5 @7 72=D6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE E96 DH:7E=J AFE\5@H? AFED49 @? s646>36C f[ 2D H6== 2D BF6DE:@?D @G6C H96E96C E96 2==6865 C:?8=6256C :D ?@H :? 6I:=6 :? @?6 @7 E96:C 42A:E2=D]k^Am
kAmQxE :D 4=62C E92E E96 2EE6>AE E@ 56DE23:=:D6 E96 C68:>6 :? r@E@?@F H2D AFD9:?8 q6?:? 5:C64E=J :?E@ E96 C2?<D @7 E96 pt$[Q 2 H6DE p7C:42? 5:A=@>2E:4 D@FC46 D2:5]k^Am
kAmtG6? 2D E96 C636= D@=5:6CD 2AA62C65 @? ?2E:@?2= E6=6G:D:@? :? q6?:?VD 4@2DE2= 4:EJ @7 r@E@?@F E@ 2??@F?46 !C6D:56?E !2EC:46 %2=@?VD @G6CE9C@H[ D@4:2= >65:2 244@F?ED 7C:6?5=J E@ E96 ;F?E2\=65 EC:@ @7 4@F?EC:6D AF>A65 @FE 4@@C5:?2E65 >6DD286D :? DFAA@CE @7 E96 2EE6>AE65 4@FA]k^Am
kAmp>@?8 E96> H2D A2?\p7C:42?:DE[ 2?E:\(6DE6C? q6?:?6D6 :?7=F6?46C z6>: $632[ H9@ H2D BF:4< E@ C6;@:46 :? q6?:?VD Q=:36C2E:@? 52JQ H:E9 9:D `]d >:==:@? 7@==@H6CD]k^Am
kAm$632[ H9@ 244FD6D %2=@? @7 36:?8 E@@ 4=@D6 E@ 7@C>6C 4@=@?:2= >2DE6C uC2?46[ 92D 366? 2? 25G:D6C E@ }:86CVD DEC@?8>2? 86?6C2= p35@FC292>2?6 %:2?: D:?46 =2DE J62C 2?5 H2D 8C2?E65 2 5:A=@>2E:4 A2DDA@CE]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D 92DE6 DA62<D G@=F>6Di 6:E96C E96 >2? <?6H[ @C 96 C646:G65 :?DECF4E:@?D E@ 2>A=:7J E9:?8D H6== 367@C6 E96 @FE4@>6[Q u:24C6 ':5;:?8?:?@F[ 2 q6?:? 6IA6CE :? A@=:E:42= 2?5 >:=:E2CJ D@4:@=@8J[ HC@E6 :? E96 uC6?49\=2?8F286 r@?7=:ED >282K:?6] k^Am
kAmq6?:? 92D :DDF65 2? :?E6C?2E:@?2= 2CC6DE H2CC2?E 7@C $632[ 2==68:?8 Q25G@424J @7 4C:>6D 282:?DE DE2E6 D64FC:EJ 2?5 :?4:E6>6?E E@ C636==:@?Q]k^Am
kAm$632[ H9@D6 C62= ?2>6 :D $E6==:@ v:==6D #@36CE r2A@ r9:49:[ 92D D2:5 96 A=2?D E@ QD66 E96 7:89E E9C@F89 E@ E96 6?5Q]k^Am
kAmp==6865 4@FA =6256C =:6FE6?2?E\4@=@?6= !2D42= %:8C: :D @? E96 CF? 2?5 CF>@FC65 E@ 36 9:5:?8 :? @?6 @7 E96 $296=:2? 4@F?EC:6D]k^Am
kAmQx7 96 :D :? 2? pt$ 42A:E2= 96 :D D276j E96C6VD ?@ C:D< @7 9:> 36:?8 92?565 @G6C E@ q6?:?[Q D2:5 $6:5:< p332[ 9625 @7 E96 x?E6C?2E:@?2= r6?EC6 7@C $EF5:6D 2?5 #67=64E:@?D @? E96 $296=]k^Am
k9am\ $66<:?8 2 4@2DE2= 2==J \k^9am
kAm%:2?: D6:K65 A@H6C :? }:86C EH@ J62CD 28@ 2?5 92D D:?46 4=@D65 E96 3@C56C H:E9 q6?:? @G6C 2==682E:@?D :E 92C3@FCD QuC6?49 32D6DQ 36?E @? 56DE23:=:D:?8 9:D 4@F?ECJ] k^Am
kAmq6?:? 2?5 uC2?46 3@E9 56?J E96 4=2:>] k^Am
kAmQx7 E96 4@FA 925 DF4466565[ :EVD 46CE2:? E92E :E H@F=5 92G6 366? 8@@5 ?6HD 7@C E96 pt$[Q p332 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQp 492?86 @7 C68:>6 H@F=5 92G6 :?:E:2E65 E96 368:??:?8 @7 ?@C>2=:D2E:@? H:E9 q6?:?] qFE 2E E9:D DE286[ E96C6 :D ?@ >2E6C:2= 6G:56?46 D9@H:?8 E92E 2 $296=:2? 4@F?ECJ EC2?D76CC65 >@?6J @C 6BF:A>6?E E@ E96 AFED49:DED[Q 96 25565]k^Am
kAm':5;:?8?:?@F D2:5 E96 QDF3E=6EJ @7 E96 >6E9@5Q H2D <6J]k^Am
kAmQ|@D4@H 5@6D E96 D2>6 :? DF3\$292C2? p7C:42i D92A:?8 6?G:C@?>6?ED C2E96C E92? :DDF:?8 5:C64E @C56CD[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 =6256CD @7 qFC<:?2[ |2=: 2?5 }:86C 92G6 >256 D@G6C6:8?EJ E96:C H2E49H@C5[ =62G:?8 E96 (6DE p7C:42? 3=@4 tr~(p$[ H9:=6 EFC?:?8 2H2J 7C@> EC25:E:@?2= A2CE?6C uC2?46 2?5 4=@D6C E@ #FDD:2]k^Am
kAmqFE E96J =24< 2 7@@E9@=5 @? E96 D62 E@ EC2?DA@CE 8@@5D[ 6DA64:2==J FC2?:F> 7C@> }:86C[ @?6 @7 E96 H@C=5VD =625:?8 AC@5F46CD @7 E96 C25:@24E:G6 >6E2=]k^Am
kAm%96 t4@?@>:4 r@>>F?:EJ @7 (6DE p7C:42? $E2E6D Wtr~(p$X 2E :ED DF>>:E @? $F?52J H2D 42C67F= ?@E E@ =2J 3=2>6 @? E96 pt$]k^Am
kAmQ%96 @G6C=2AA:?8 64@?@>:4 :?E6C6DED 36EH66? 4@2DE2= 2?5 $296=:2? 4@F?EC:6D C6>2:? DEC@?8[Q p332 D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ #68:@?2= :?E6CG6?E:@? \k^9am
kAm&?=:<6 E96 4@FAD E92E E@AA=65 =6256CD :? }:86C[ |2=: 2?5 qFC<:?2 36EH66? a_a_ 2?5 a_ab[ A6@A=6 5:5 ?@E 4@>6 @FE @?E@ q6?:?VD DEC66ED :? DFAA@CE]k^Am
kAmp 76H 9F?5C65 A6@A=6 6G6? 82E96C65 @G6C E96 H66<6?5 E@ 4@?56>? E96 2EE6>AE65 @G6CE9C@H]k^Am
kAmQ%96 762C H2D E92E E96:C 2EE6>AE H@F=5 C6D@?2E6 H:E9 E96 q6?:?6D6 2C>J 2?5 E96 =@42= A@AF=2E:@?j E92E 5:5?VE 92AA6?[Q 2 (6DE6C? >:=:E2CJ D@FC46 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 #6AF3=:42? vF2C5 C6>2:?65 =@J2= E@ %2=@?[ C6A6==:?8 2? 2DD2F=E @? 9:D C6D:56?46 2?5 8C25F2==J E2<:?8 324< 4@?EC@= @7 E96 D:EF2E:@?]k^Am
kAmxE H2D =2E6C 96=A65 3J DEC:<6D 7C@> ?6:893@FC:?8 }:86C:2 F?56C E96 2FDA:46D @7 C68:@?2= 3=@4 tr~(p$[ 2D H6== 2D :?E6CG6?E:@? 3J uC6?49 DA64:2= 7@C46D]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 4@FA E92E 56A@D65 }:86CVD AC6D:56?E |@92>65 q2K@F>[ E96 3=@4 925 E9C62E6?65 :?E6CG6?E:@? 3FE F=E:>2E6=J 5:5 ?@E 24E] k^Am
kAmqFE :? q6?:?[ }:86C:2? !C6D:56?E q@=2 %:?F3F QD6:K65 2 8@=56? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ F?56CD4@C6 }:86C:2VD @AA@D:E:@? E@ >:=:E2CJ 4@FAD 2?5 C62DD6CE :ED C68:@?2= =6256CD9:AQ[ D2:5 }?2>5: ~32D:[ 2?2=JDE 2E E96 x?E6C?2E:@?2= rC:D:D vC@FA]k^Am
kAmu@C E96 pt$[ >62?H9:=6[ E96 4@FA 2EE6>AE H2D A@E6?E:2==J 2 H:?\H:?]k^Am
kAmQx7 E96 4@FA DF44665D[ E96 pt$ 82:?D 2 4@2DE2= 2==J]]] :7 :E 72:=D[ :E A2JD ?@ AC:46 \\ ?@ =@DD6D[ ?@ 4@>AC@>:D:?8 7@@EAC:?E[ H9:=6 92G:?8 E6DE65 E96 @AA@?6?EVD 5676?46D 2?5 :56?E:7:65 E96:C H62<?6DD6D 7@C E96 ?6IE 2EE6>AE[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm3FC\A:5^32>^<;>^;I3k^Am
