an authoritarian drift that worries

Former Minister of Justice of Benin, Reckya Madougou could have brought down incumbent President Patrice Talon in 2021. But the latter was arrested, prevented from running for president and charged with financing in connection with terrorism. Despite the support of his supporters, the former minister was sentenced to twenty years in prison.

According to Antoine Vey, lawyer of Reckya Madougou, the file was completely empty and it is, according to him, a political accusation. If the court that condemned Reckya Madougou is supposed to be independent, it is in reality in the pay of the power in place. The former judge, Essowé Batamoussi, in exile in Paris, had denounced the lack of independence of the Beninese justice on TV5 Monde, last December. If Benin is considered an example of democracy, it is now in danger.