Benin’s 2026 Election: A Democratic Test Under Restricted Competition
At a time when some countries are amending their constitutions to allow incumbents to remain in power, Benin has taken a different path. President Patrice Talon is stepping down after two terms in office since 2016. Yet, despite his adherence to term limits, the upcoming election appears less competitive. Can a transition process be considered […]
Nigeria Charges Six People with Treason Over Independence Day Coup Plot
Six people in Nigeria, including a retired major general and a serving police inspector, have been charged with treason for attempting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu in a coup last year. The charges were filed by the Attorney General at the Federal High Court in the capital, Abuja, where the defendants are due to appear […]
Burkina Faso dissolves more than 100 NGOs and civil society groups
Amnesty International calls Traore government’s move a ‘flagrant attack’ on basic rights. Burkina Faso’s military government has ordered the dissolution of more than 100 associations and civil society groups – which rights groups are calling an “attack” on basic rights. It is the latest crackdown in the West African country, months after the government issued […]
West Africa: Further Crackdowns by Military Juntas
Leaders in several West African countries increased crackdowns on freedoms as they strengthened their hold on power in 2025, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2026. In Nigeria and the Sahel, Islamist armed groups and government forces and their allies repeatedly attacked civilians and civilian infrastructure at a time when the Sahel juntas have expelled […]
Guinea-Bissau junta releases opposition leader, vows inclusive government
The junta that seized power in Guinea-Bissau in a coup in November has vowed to bring the revolutionary PAIGC party into government and has released its leader, former Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, though he remains under house arrest. The moves are an apparent attempt to appease the West African regional bloc ECOWAS, which has […]
The Real Coup in Benin? Succession Without Political Change
Patrice Talon has now completed two terms in office, in line with Benin’s constitutional limit. As a result, he is expected to step down at the next election. But many suspect that he will seek to remain a political “backseat driver”, shaping the presidency from behind the scenes through allies and institutions he has carefully […]
Forget Democracy, Burkina Faso Military Leader Traore Says
Burkina Faso’s military leader, who seized power in a coup in September 2022, told journalists that “people need to forget about democracy” and that “democracy kills”, the latest sign he aims to rule for the long term. Ibrahim Traore’s military government had originally committed to organising an election in 2024. But a year after the […]
Benin’s main opposition party won’t back any candidate in April presidential vote
Benin’s opposition The Democrats says it won’t endorse any candidate in the race to replace President Patrice Talon. With Benin’s presidential election just weeks away, the country’s main opposition party says it won’t be backing any candidate. The Democrats’ own nominee has been barred from standing after failing to gather enough parliamentary support. The only […]
Judgment compliance: ECOWAS court urges Nigeria to lead by example
The President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Justice Ricardo Gonçalves, has called on the Nigerian government to lead by example in enforcing the court’s judgments to strengthen the regional rule of law and restore confidence in community justice. He disclosed that since the establishment of the Court, 128 cases have been instituted against Nigeria, […]
Ivory Coast’s President Says He Will Seek Fourth Term in Office
Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara has announced he will seek a fourth term leading the West African nation, as tensions rise over the exclusion of many heavyweight opposition candidates. Earlier, he had been officially nominated by his ruling Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) party as its candidate, but had not yet said […]