Romuald Wadagni, the ruling party candidate in Benin’s upcoming presidential election, has announced plans to create new police forces in northern border towns to fight off growing jihadist attacks. According to Reuters, Wadagni disclosed this plan while presenting his political platform ahead of the April 12 vote, where he is considered the strong favorite. The announcement comes as jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda continue to push further into Benin’s northern regions from neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, making security one of the most pressing issues heading into the upcoming election.
Wadagni claimed Benin had “no choice” but to work with neighboring countries to deal with the growing security threat as insurgents step up attacks along the borders between Niger, Benin, and Nigeria. He told supporters that the goal would be to make sure young people in their own communities are trained and equipped to protect their homes and families. His sole opponent in the race, Paul Hounkpé, told his own supporters in Cotonou, according to African news, that the race was not over and that his side was offering the best solutions to hunger and the country’s broader challenges.
More police in border towns sounds beneficial, but it raises real questions about what kind of security strategy Benin is actually attempting. Sending more armed forces into a region that is already struggling with violence may not be beneficial in addressing why that violence keeps growing. Communities in northern Benin are facing a crisis that goes beyond what a police presence can fix. Lasting security in the Sahel has never come from military force alone and leaders who treat it that way tend to find themselves managing a worsening situation rather than resolving one. What the people in these regions need is investment in their livelihoods political inclusion and regional cooperation that actually prioritizes their safety not just the facade of control.
Reuters states that jihadist attacks in northern Benin have been picking up for years as groups spill over from Burkina Faso and Niger. The actions became especially volatile last April when an attack by an Al-Qaeda linked group killed 54 soldiers according to Reuters. Earlier this month, another attack killed 15 soldiers and wounded five more at a military camp in the north. Adding to that, disgruntled soldiers attempted a coup in December 2025, citing the worsening security situation and what they described as the neglect of fallen soldiers. That attempt was put down within hours with help from Nigeria and France. According to The Africa Report, Wadagni is backed by both major parties in the presidential majority, and his only real rival represents a party that got less than 5 percent of the vote in January’s legislative elections, making his path to the presidency very straightforward.
What happens in Benin after April 12th will matter well beyond its borders. Sahel is one of the most fragile regions in the world right now, and Benin sits right on the edge of a crisis that has already affected its neighbours tremendously. More police forces might offer some short-term relief, but without a real plan for regional cooperation, economic development, and community trust building, the north will keep failing. Whoever leads Benin next must address this problem, and the decisions they make in the first years will set the tone for how the country handles one of the toughest security challenges to date.
