ECOWAS has ordered the immediate deployment of elements of its Standby Force to the Republic of Benin as concerns deepen over an apparent military takeover in the country.
The directive, announced in a fresh statement from the ECOWAS Commission, follows consultations among members of the Mediation and Security Council at the level of Heads of State and Government.
The Commission explained that the decision is grounded in Article 25(e) of the 1999 Protocol on Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security, which empowers the regional body to intervene when constitutional order is threatened.
The Chair of the ECOWAS Authority has therefore activated the standby arrangement to support Benin during the crisis.
Under the new directive, the regional force will draw troops from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. These forces are to work alongside the Government and the Republican Army of Benin to preserve constitutional rule and safeguard the country’s territorial integrity.
The deployment comes against the backdrop of rising tension in Benin, where soldiers reportedly seized key state installations in what appears to be a coup d’état.
ECOWAS had earlier condemned the development and called for the immediate restoration of democratic governance.
