How Nigeria Saved the Ruling Regime in Benin. Part II. Reaction of External Players to the Events in Benin |
In suppressing the military uprising in Benin, the primary role belonged to its closest neighbour, Nigeria. In response to President Patrice Talon’s request for military support, Nigeria deployed its air force units and part of its ground forces.
Abuja’s Motives in the Situation in Benin
Abuja’s prompt reaction to the neighbouring state’s request should be attributed to the fact that it is no less necessary for Nigeria per se to protect its own territorial integrity. The fact is that Nigeria has recently seen the increase in terrorists and mobsters encroaching upon the western states of Nigeria from the territory of northern Benin. Their goals are robbery and kidnapping for ransom.
Just last October, according to the Nigerian Vanguard, jihadists from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group “The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin” (JNIM) crossed the border from the territory of Benin and carried out their first attack on Nigerian locals. The incident created the threat of a new front in the fight against terrorism in northwestern Nigeria.
Notably, the newspaper continues, Nigeria’s initiative to support Benin, a former French colony, coincided with the strengthening of security ties between Paris and Abuja. The Qatari newspaper Al Jazeera believes that this is because Paris, recently facing growing anti-French sentiment in West Africa, is taking measures to draw closer to Nigeria to protect French business interests while avoiding overt display of its activities in the region.
On the other hand, as France 24 pinpoints, by conducting this military operation, Nigeria pursued the goal of reaffirming its status as the leading regional power, which had wavered in........