David Hundeyin, Nigerian journalist and founder of West Africa Weekly, Slams French-Nigerian Attack on Benin

On the morning of December 7, elements of Benin's military took to the airwaves to announce the overthrow of Western-backed President Patrice Talon. Calling themselves the "Military Committee for Refoundation," they condemned Talon for imprisoning his opponents and allowing the elite to control "all vital sectors of the economy." The coup leaders also criticised the deteriorating security situation in northern Benin, which has become a base for Al Qaeda-affiliated insurgents attacking neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso.

Much like their neighbours in the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), the people of Benin spontaneously took to the streets in celebration. However, their joy was short-lived. Within hours, Nigeria — Benin's much larger eastern neighbour — began launching airstrikes on the capital, Cotonou, in explicit coordination with France, Benin's former coloniser. The rest of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) quickly rallied behind the Talon regime. This emerging anti-imperialist rebellion was swiftly crushed, and Cotonou remains under indefinite foreign occupation.

In an interview, Nigerian journalist and founder of West Africa Weekly, David Hundeyin, spoke with Ahmed Kaballo of Sovereign Media about these shocking developments. Hundeyin drew a stark contrast between ECOWAS' indifferent response to the self-coup by Western-backed President Umaro Sissoco Embaló in Guinea-Bissau less than two weeks earlier. He noted that a successful anti-imperialist uprising in Benin would have provided the landlocked AES with a crucial connection to the Atlantic Ocean.

Lastly, Hundeyin reflected on the serious implications of these events for Nigeria's domestic politics and international standing. He pointed out that the intervention was blatantly illegal under Nigeria's own constitution and exposed the government's hypocritical posturing in response to Donald Trump's threats. He concluded by discussing the unofficial rivalry between France and the United States for hegemony in the region, highlighting how Nigerian President Bola Tinubu positions himself as a compliant ally to both imperial powers.