Nevertheless, jihadists are already active in the northern regions of Benin and even appear to be gaining ground. Will the Benin-Belgian partnership succeed in sufficiently involving the local population? And can such a partnership actually offer stability as long as population groups such as the Peuhl continue to face discrimination?
In short: is there hope for improvement, or will Benin be the next domino in the region to fall?
Photos: © Thibault Coigniez