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« I had the opportunity to put strong pressure on the Beninese authorities “: The declaration on Wednesday January 12 by the head of French diplomacy Jean-Yves Le Drian to the National Assembly in Paris visibly resonated as far as Porto-Novo. France therefore does not tolerate the detention and sentencing of Reckya Madougou, nor undoubtedly that of Joël Aïvo. The Beninese opponent and former Minister of Justice was sentenced in December to twenty years in prison for terrorism before a special court in Porto-Novo, the capital of Benin But, despite many pressures, the head of state, Patrice Talon, resists.
Relatives of Reckya Madougou affirm it: they heard of exchanges between Patrice Talon and heavyweights of the sub-region, the heads of state of Senegal and the Ivory Coast well before the trial. They even assert that a solution had to be found to free her before passing in front of the Criet.
In the end, it was not. Reckya Madougou and, before her, Joêl Aïvo received heavy penalties.
The most virulent, the United States accused the political power of interference with the Beninese justice system and decided to also stop economic cooperation projects. This is obviously not the case for France.
In his statement, Jean-Yves Le Drian, called upon by a deputy from his own majority, recalled that the State put pressure on Patrice Talon last November, during the visit of the President of Benin to Paris. Not sure that this official statement makes Patrice Talon tremble. The French Minister of Foreign Affairs added: “ By dint of talking about it, sometimes we have results “. The lawyers of Reckya Madougou and Joël Aïvo are convinced of this. Incarcerated, their clients only strengthen their status as political opponents.
French pressure is very, very discreet (…) The most appropriate exit door, it will perhaps be to take measures of grace. The president does not have to wait until August 1 and the commemoration of Independence Day to take this step. He will soon be celebrating his first year of re-election, he could take advantage of this moment to create a little more national cohesion. You have noted, as I have, that since December there has been an increase in terrorist attacks in the North. So, Benin absolutely needs national cohesion to be able to face …
Pressures on Patrice Talon: Francis Kpatindé, journalist and teacher at Sciences-Po Paris
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