COTONOU: Benin jailed on Tuesday around 30 people, most of them soldiers, accused of links to a thwarted coup attempt this month, legal sources told AFP, while several mutineers are still on the run.
Soldiers appeared on national television on December 7 to announce President Patrice Talon had been deposed but the attempted putsch was swiftly defeated by loyalist army forces with the help of the Nigerian air force and French special forces.
Several people were killed and the alleged coup leader lieutenant-colonel Pascal Tigri and other mutinous soldiers remain on the run.
On Monday, the around 30 accused appeared in front of a special prosecutor for the court for economic crimes and terrorism in the city of Cotonou, the sources said.
They were placed in pre-trial detention the following day at the end of their hearing, they added.
They are being prosecuted for “treason,” “murder” and “endangering state security,” the sources said.
A heavy security deployment could be seen around the court, an AFP journalist saw.
Separately, Chabi Yayi, son of former Beninese president and current opposition figure Thomas Boni Yayi, was released on Monday after being questioned.
However, he remains under prosecution in connection with the coup bid for reasons that are not known as the authorities step up questioning of opposition figures.
He is a member of the opposition party led by his father.
Chabi Yayi has been granted freedom of movement, several of his relatives told AFP by phone on Tuesday. But he is expected to present himself anew to police on Thursday, according to judicial sources.
Monday also saw the Cotonou Court of Appeal confirm a two-year prison sentence for Steve Amoussou, an online activist accused of running a social media account very critical of the government.
The former Beninese defense minister and prominent opposition political figure, Candide Azannai, was also arrested on Friday. It is unclear whether his arrest was related to the coup attempt, which he condemned.
Also on Friday, Benin issued an international arrest warrant against Pan-Africanist and anti-Western influencer Kemi Seba for backing the attempted coup.
In his absence, he is being prosecuted for “advocating crimes against state security and inciting rebellion.”
On social media, Seba has vowed that “we shall see this fight through to the end.”
Although hailed for spurring economic growth, Talon is accused by critics of authoritarianism in a country once praised for its democratic dynamism.
He is due to hand over the reins of power in April after the maximum-allowed two terms leading Benin, which in recent years has been hit by jihadist violence in the north.
His likely successor is Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, who appears to have a clear path to the presidency, with the main opposition party excluded from the ballot due to a shortage of sponsors to put up a candidate.
Benin jails around 30 people, mostly soldiers, over foiled coup attempt
https://arab.news/9eek3
Benin jails around 30 people, mostly soldiers, over foiled coup attempt
- Several people were killed and the alleged coup leader lieutenant-colonel Pascal Tigri and other mutinous soldiers remain on the run
- Around 30 accused appeared in front of a special prosecutor for the court for economic crimes and terrorism
What Bangladesh’s election means for India, China and Pakistan ties
- Bangladeshis will vote on Feb. 12, almost two years after the 2024 student-led uprising
- After nearly 2 years of tensions, experts expect a thaw with India under elected government
DHAKA: As Bangladesh prepares to hold its first elections since the 2024 ouster of Sheikh Hasina, its longest-serving prime minister, the outcome will define Dhaka’s relations with the most important regional powers — China, India, and Pakistan.
Nearly 128 million Bangladeshis will head to the polls on Feb. 12 to bring in new leadership after an 18-month rule of the current caretaker administration.
The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, took control following a student-led uprising that ended 15 years in power of Hasina and her Awami League party.
The two main parties out of the 51 competing for power are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami. The Awami League, which for decades has had close ties with India, was excluded from the election ballot over its role in the deadly crackdown on the 2024 student-led protests, in which 1,400 people were killed.
While Bangladesh’s relationship India has deteriorated since the fall of Hasina, who has been in self-exile in New Delhi, the period of diplomatic strain is expected to ease when the new government takes office.
“Whoever comes to power in Bangladesh, due to domestic pressure in the country, relationships with India need a resetting,” Humayun Kabir, former ambassador to the US, told Arab News.
“It’s anticipated that India will also engage with the new government, but they will protect their interests, and we also have to do the same. It’s most likely that the India-Bangladesh relationship will be normalized under the new, elected, government.”
Since 2024, India has suspended key transshipment access that allowed Bangladeshi exports to go via Indian ports and airports. It also put on hold most normal visa services for Bangladeshis, who were among its largest groups of medical tourists.
From Hasina’s heavy pro-India orientation, the interim government has tried to rebalance Bangladesh’s foreign policy toward the two other key regional players — China and Pakistan — who at the same time are India’s main rivals.
If New Delhi regains its importance, it should not deal a blow to the newly expanded relations with Pakistan, with whom Bangladesh has recently increased exchanges, especially economic, and last month resumed direct flights — after a 14-year gap.
Since the relations have been expanded under the caretaker government, Prof. Delwar Hossain from the International Relations Department at Dhaka University forecast that they would only further improve, no matter who comes to power, and there is no likelihood of a sudden change.
“For Pakistan, any political coalition — whether BNP or Jamaat — will be positive. The BNP has a long history of having good relations with Pakistan during their rule ... Jamaat also has a strong and very positive influence in Pakistan,” he said.
“For Pakistan, the new regime or new government is not the issue. The issue is what the (India) policy of the new government would be and to what extent it would actually support Pakistan’s view.”
Both the BNP and Jamaat have repeatedly said they wanted friendly relations with India, and Hossain expected that they would, at the same time, continue the balanced approach introduced by the caretaker administration.
“India is a reality as a neighbor. At the same time, India is also showing interest in mending relations or adopting a more cooperative approach after the vote, with the government that will be elected ... I think there will be pragmatism from both sides,” he said.
“I don’t see there is a long-term threat to Bangladesh-India relations ... When China and Pakistan were trying to create a trilateral cooperative system or some kind of coalition — China, Bangladesh and Pakistan — we have seen that Bangladesh opted out. It seems that Bangladesh is going to continue its policy of maintaining a balance among these great powers.”
Bangladesh’s relations with China have not changed since the ouster of Hasina, whose government signed several economic agreements with Beijing. Yunus’s administration has continued this cooperation, and China was among the very few countries he officially visited during his term.
During the visit, he secured about $2.1 billion in Chinese investments, loans and grants, including funding for infrastructure like Mongla Port and a special economic zone in Chattogram — Bangladesh’s largest port. China has also eased visa rules for Bangladeshi businesspeople, medical travelers and tourists.
According to Munshi Faiz Ahmed, Bangladesh’s former ambassador to Beijing, China’s importance for Bangladesh cannot be substituted by any other country, especially as over the past few years it has emerged not only as its key investor, but also the largest trade partner.
In the fiscal year 2024-25, Bangladesh’s trade with China was over $21.3 billion, according to National Board of Revenue data. With India, it was about $11.5 billion.
The trade — especially import — dependence on Beijing started long before the regime change. In terms of trade volume, China overtook India already in 2018.
“Even when people thought that we had very close relations with India, our relations with China continued to grow in terms of trade and commerce ... Our trade with China has surpassed India’s, and China is a much bigger investor in Bangladesh’s development projects,” Ahmed said.
“Bangladesh will continue to cooperate with China for a long time to come because what China can provide, no other country can.”
