Presidential election in Benin: last campaign meetings amid tensions
A child and a soldier discuss on the sidelines of the last campaign meeting of outgoing President Patrice Talon before the Benin presidential election, April 9, 2021. AFP - PIUS UTOMI EKPEI
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4 min
Last day of campaign before the presidential election Sunday April 11.
It opposes the outgoing president Patrice Talon to two candidates, but none of the great figures of the opposition has been able to stand.
Since the start of the week, the campaign has been unfolding against a backdrop of tensions.
Scattered demonstrations took place to challenge the head of state.
Violence also took place in the center of the country.
In Cotonou and in the regions, the three candidate pairs held their last campaign meetings.
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With our special correspondent in Cotonou,
Magali Lagrange
The outgoing president, Patrice Talon, spoke at length in the Fon language, in front of an audience acquired on a field of Godomey.
Jean Baptiste Adjovi, of the UP party which supports him, is convinced that he will win on Sunday.
Another activist says that the Beninese will go out to vote and that everything will go well despite the tensions and violence that have taken place since the beginning of the week, in some cities of the country.
A situation mentioned by Corentin Kohoué, candidate excluded from the Democrats party, on a field in Gbegamey.
He calls on the president to settle things peacefully and says that if the violence does not stop, he will be forced to withdraw from the electoral process.
An activist present, aged 55, explains that he has never seen such a campaign in Benin.
The 3rd duo, from the FCBE party: Alassane Soumanou and his running mate Paul Hounkpè ended their campaign in their respective strongholds, in Djougou and in Mono.
In the center of the country, on the road between Savè and Parakou,
the situation remained tense on Friday
.
New clashes have been reported on this road axis, where roadblocks have been erected at several points and that the military are trying to unblock.
Witnesses said they heard shooting, in particular in Papane, a town near Tchaourou, the birthplace of former President Thomas Boni Yayi.
It is still difficult to have a balance sheet.
That of the violence which took place Thursday in Savè increased: at least 2 dead and 4 wounded civilians, as well as wounded among the soldiers.
The latter fired live ammunition during their intervention to unblock the road.
On the power side, it is explained that the demonstrators are also armed, and that the soldiers are only fighting back.
It is the first time that they (the opponents) have been clearly excluded from the electoral game in relation to the presidential election through the law and the institutions.
(…) It's democracy at gunpoint.
The power we have is keen to restore its authority by all means except dialogue.
Ralmeg Gandaho, president of the NGO Social Change Benin
Christina okello
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