Attempted coup in Benin symptom of institutional weaknesses in West Africa region, UNSC hears

The attempted coup in Benin earlier this month should be seen as a wake up call for institutional reform, the UN Security Council heard on Thursday.

While the swift response from West African allies in ECOWAS helped to foil the takeover, UN and Beninese officials said the attempt was a symptom of fundamental problems.

“Experience across the region shows that governance reforms perceived as exclusionary erode legitimacy and fuel…