In May 2023 alone, militants beheaded 15 people in a village in northern Benin. They also abducted several residents.
Benin is another country in West Africa targeted by jihadists. They want to confuse him. Islamic terrorist groups are already entrenched in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria. In multi-ethnic Benin, a republic of about 14 million people, only about 27 percent of the population is Muslim. Its citizens are eager to protect the country.
Afternoon. Six forest elephants, darker and smaller than their savannah siblings, stand at the edge of a large body of water, half covered with lilies and reeds. None of them pay attention to crocodiles, whose eyelashes protrude from the surface of the water. There is a peaceful scenery with countless colorful birds singing.
This area in northern Benin is a forest. The protected area is part of the W-Arly-Pendjari National Park complex (It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site across the border – Edition), which covers an area of 50,000 square meters. Sq km on the border of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Jihadis hide in forests
The largest nature reserve in West Africa with lions, leopards and antelopes, it was a popular tourist destination until recently. There are plans to expand the infrastructure to attract more tourists from all over the world. However, these plans were shelved. The parks have been closed to visitors for two years and no one knows when they will reopen.
Elephants in W-Arly-Pendjari Park. (illustrative photo)
The reason is because of the Islamic terrorist groups that have set their starting point for their attacks in the forests bordering Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger.
The first incident occurred in 2020 in Benin. Terrorists kidnapped two French tourists. In December 2021, a military patrol was attacked in Benin. After that, the attacks did not stop. In 2023 alone, there have already been more than 60 Islamist attacks, in which more than 50 people have died. Among them were four park rangers and two of their drivers.
Tension due to lack of water
The Islamic State, especially Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslim (DNIM – Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims – ed.) has been carrying out increasingly aggressive activities. The organization unites various terrorist fighters who adhere to al-Qaeda’s principles.
DNIMI excels at stoking social and ethnic tensions. This is especially true in the conflict between sedentary farmers and nomadic herders over land and water. Islamists play the role of the new “force of order”.
This way of seizing power in African countries was first successful for jihadists in Mali. Now exporting to other countries. Environmental crisis and social inequalities favor them.
Voodoo festival in Benin. Water drinking ceremony at Dah-Gbo Zonon Monastery. January 2023
“Because of climate change, there is less land for cultivation and water scarcity,” says Ulf Lasing, head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (a German NGO – ed.) office in Mali. In addition, there are high birth rates, lack of educational opportunities and problems in the labor market. “The region is a ticking time bomb,” says Lessing.
Burkina Faso surrenders
The spread of jihadism in Africa is terrifying. The same applies to countries like Chad, Central African Republic and Mozambique. Governments are often helpless in the face of terrorism.
This is demonstrated by the example of Burkina Faso, which was taken over by DNIM within a few years. The government in Ouagadougou, fearing attacks, withdrew its forces 150 km inland from the Benin border.
“Burkina Faso surrendered, giving freedom to the terrorists,” says Colonel Faizo Comina of Benin’s army. He is responsible for the security of the North.
Benin takes up arms
But the relatively small country of Benin refuses to give up. “We will fight terrorism by any means,” says Comina.
Colonel Faizo Komina of the Benin Army
In fact, the Benin army is arming itself, recruiting soldiers, buying weapons, vehicles and building new bases in threatened regions.
“But military means alone cannot solve the problem,” points out the colonel. He also says that his country’s tactics are based on civilian strategy and local community support. Therefore, authorities provide restricted access to nature reserves.
Residents can collect honey and medicinal herbs, as well as visit sacred sites. Urgently needed water intake centers are also being constructed on the outskirts of the park. This will prevent possible recruitment by Islamist DNIM militants. Huge mango trees shade the parade grounds of the military base in Parago, the largest city in northern Benin. The temperature is 30 degrees Celsius even early in the morning. Around 150 young men are impatiently waiting to apply to join the army. Benin is seeking 2,000 new troops this year. Three thousand more will be added in 2024.
Development is urgently needed. The existing army of about 15,000 troops is overburdened primarily along the borders with four countries: Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria. Also, large contingents are needed to fight DNIM in the north.
Death at sight
“I’ve always wanted to be a soldier,” says the 28-year-old Dieudonne. His t-shirt features a picture of American rapper Travis Scott. “So far it hasn’t worked, but now I can finally protect my homeland,” he says.
Simon also has the honor of wearing the uniform soon. The 24-year-old hails from Materi, a small town in the northwest near the borders of Togo and Burkina Faso. “The security situation in the city is good,” he says. But outside is very dangerous. “As a citizen, I face death every day. That’s why I want to be a soldier and fight,” he says.
So far, the army seems to have the support of the people. DNIM’s attacks of mass killing of villagers are brutal and inhumane. “I go to the bush every day to collect information about the terrorists,” reveals Oumarou Iloutchoka, head of Alfa Kura, a village on the edge of a national park in Niger territory.
The leader of Alpha Koura is Oumarou Iloutchoka
The leader wears sunglasses and sits on a large lounger. The walls in his apartment are painted with lions, buffaloes, ostriches and leopards. “I am sending the information to the army chief because these terrorists are disgraceful,” he says.
250 km to the west, a helicopter takes us over the endless savannah of the national park to the military base at Arli. It is located in Burkina Faso. However, under the agreement, known as the Accra Initiative of 2017, Benin can fight the “expansion of terrorism” even on foreign territory.
“Here in Arly, one of the first terrorist attacks happened in 2021,” says commander Georges Kapovyhin, pointing to bullet holes in the base’s walls.
Many refugees never returned
Another hot spot in the Bandjeri Nature Reserve is the village of Kolow, bordered by three countries: Burkina Faso, Togo and Benin. Army goes there only with armored vehicles. DNIM attacked the village several times and killed many people.
The situation has improved as the army maintains an army base there. Nevertheless, only a small number of residents who fled returned. “The terrorists had a camp four kilometers away,” explains Colonel Kpovihin. Today they have a base in Nadiago, about 15 km away.
“They cut off my husband’s head”
Women now collect water from a public well built by the military in the village’s main square. “The school is closed, there are no nurses at the health center,” they complain. Some of them have lost their husbands. Now some are raising seven or eight children alone.
“When the terrorists came they asked us to leave. When we didn’t, they came back and killed. They beheaded my husband and several other men, says 45-year-old Yara Tankouanou.
Europe, though influential in Africa, watched only from afar. However, the crisis in this part of the world may be of major importance for the condition of the old continent, especially taking into account our capacity and readiness to accept refugees.
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