Benin Coup Attempt. Historic Security Council December 9, Canisius College Model United Nations 39 th Annual Conference

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1 Historic Security Council December 9, 1977 Benin Coup Attempt Overview Benin is a country formerly known as Dahomey. The country is located in West Africa and is bordered by Togo, Nigeria, and Niger. The country used to be under French control until 1960 when they gained independence from the French. After gaining independence, the country went through a period of various democratic governments, military coups, and military regimes. In 1975 the Marxist People s Revolutionary Party took over as the sole party and renamed the country to the People s Republic of Benin. At this moment in time, in 1977, Benin is undergoing political changes. The people of Benin are starting to indicate their discontent with the Marxist government. The government is accused of trying to silence the people who are indicating their discontent. A new constitution was recently passed, and the country is still recovering from the speculations surrounding the attempted coup in January Historical Background Formerly known as Dahomey, Benin enjoys a shoreline that includes what used to be known as the Slave Coast, the departure point for captives to be shipped across the Atlantic. In the seventeenth through the end of the nineteenth centuries, the Kingdom of Dahomey was known for its military discipline and powerful arms. It was defeated in 1894 by the French and became a self-governing part of the French Community in The country officially gained independence in 1960 and was admitted as a UN member state the same year. Elections were won by the Parti Dahomeen de L'Unite, with the party leader Hubert Maga becoming the country's first president. Shortly thereafter, he is removed by the army's Chief of Staff, Colonel Christophe Soglo. In the next several years, the heads of state of Dahomey changed several times due to a variety of military coups. In 1963, the first president of Dahomey, Hubert Maga, was removed from power by the Chief of Staff, Christophe Soglo. In 1964, a new president, Sourou-Migan Apithy, is elected into power by the people. However, Soglo forces Apithy to step down in 1965 and Soglo eventually assumes power by the end of the year. His reign is short lived as in 1967, Maurice Kouandete, a Major in the military, led a coup against Soglo. The military regime following is led by Emile- Derlin Zinsou as the president in 1968, but in 1969 Kouandete deposes Zinsou from power. In 1970, power is eventually placed into the hands of a presidential council. In 1972 one of the members of the council, Ahomadegbe, assumes the once again short-lived presidency.

2 In 1972, Major Mathieu Kérérkou, leader of the Marxist People s Revolutionary Party, seized power and dismissed the presidential council. His party became the only political party within the country and Kérérkou remains the leader of the country at this present (1977). He also initiated the renaming of Dahomey to the People s Republic of Benin. Recently, Kérékou has been violently suppressing opposition within the country, thus being able to continue the sole political power for his party. He has managed to silence the opposition and therefore any chance of reform within the country. Sources: Adesina Benin, Republic of (Dahomey) Kérékou, Mathieu (1935 ) Current Crisis On January 16, 1977, a group of mercenaries landed in the town of Cotonou in an attempted coup of the government of Benin. Dahomey Liberation and Rehabilitation Front (Front de Libération et de Réhabilitation de Dahomey-FLRD) mercenaries attacked the city of Cotonou on January 16, 1977, resulting in the deaths of several individuals. The government of Benin referred the matter to the UN Security Council on January 17, 1977 and Organization of African Unity (OAU) on February 1, The letter on January 26, 1977 contained the statement, This aggression by the imperialists, who were aided and abetted in numerous ways, has created a dangerous situation for international peace and security. Please read the rest of the letter here: It is believed that the mercenary group was made up of French citizens, hired by exiled Beninese, to invade the port city of Cotonou and overthrow the government. This attempted coup, known as Operation Shrimp, was unsuccessful. The operation is suspected to have been led by Bob Denard, a wellknown French mercenary. (For more information, see ) It is also believed that, beyond France, the mercenaries had assistance from the following states: Togo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, and Morocco.

3 Upon communication, the UN Security Council agreed to establish a three-member commission of inquiry (composed of India, Libya, Panama) to investigate the matter on February 8, The UN commission of inquiry issued a report on March 8, 1977, and the UN Security Council condemned the mercenary attack against Benin on April 14, The OAU also established a seven-member commission of inquiry (Libya, Nigeria, Niger, Angola, Guinea, Mozambique, and Zambia) to investigate the mercenary attack. For detailed information relating to damages caused by the attempted coup, please see: President Kérérkou believes that the participants in the coup should be sentenced appropriately. One should be cautious, however, as Kérérkou has utilized previous coup attempts to wipe out political opponents and assert the current government s authority. In any case, due action should be sought by the United Nations Security Council. New Constitution Benin constitution drafting began four years after the People s Revolutionary Party and the Military Revolutionary Government took power in a coup in There were indications of discontent with the government for relying on propaganda and slogans to govern. At least two leaders were accused and executed for plotting against the government between then and now (1977). The president (Kérérkou) appointed a small group of lawyers and judges to prepare the first draft of a constitution. Communist bloc constitutions were consulted. Issues were presented in Marxist-Leninist terms. The president retained veto and amendment powers during this process. The draft was sent to the Central Committee of the People s Revolutionary Party for debate and revision. Delegates voted on individual provisions and the political party had veto power. The government launched an educational campaign holding open meetings for debate and consultation for the citizens in towns, villages and remote rural areas. One hundred fifteen amendments emerged from this process. The joint session of the Central Committee prepared the final draft. The constitution was formally adopted by the People s Revolutionary Party and the National Revolutionary Council in August 1977 effective on November 30, It seems that the attempted coup on the Kérérkou government has hardened the regime s rulings and its authority over Benin in general. As adapted from: Additional sources:

4 UN Involvement The United Nations Security Council commented on and eventually condemned the attempted coup on Benin in January Read the full resolutions here: By the end of the year 1977, the Permanent Representative of Benin sent a letter reminding the council of the attempted coup earlier that year. (The letter can be viewed here: ) A detailed letter from October had been sent earlier, detailing the various damages the attempted coup caused in Benin. (This letter can be viewed here: ) Both provide important insights into the current situation in Benin and the aftermath of the attempted coup and its effect on the country. In response to both inquiries from the Permanent Representative, the UN Security Council issued the following resolution: Nov 24, The following is a news article detailing reports of the attempted coup in January Source: African Land, No Stranger to Coups, Repulses an Attack by Mercenaries SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES JAN. 17, 1977 By Agence France-Presse NIAMEY, Niger, Jan. 16 The Government of neighboring Benin reported today that its troops had routed a number of unidentified armed men who landed at a military airfield overnight and launched an attack on the city of Cotonou. Reports by Cotonou radio, monitored here, said the assault on the West African city came at dawn after a DC-8 unloaded the unidentified attackers and large quantities of munitions and took off again from Cadjehoun Military Airport. The raiders, identified by the Government radio as mercenaries in the pay of international imperialism, attacked residential quarters at Cadjehoun, Jacko and Houeiho and neighborhoods along the main Benin-Togo-Ghana highway before being routed by Government forces, according to official broadcasts. Later broadcasts said that fighting was still going on, and the President, Lieut. Col. Mathieu Karekou, who came to power in a military coup in October 1972, called on the people to help track down all the mercenaries and their agents, whether they be white or black, and flush them out and arrest them.

5 There was no further identification of the attackers, but coups and reports of attempted coups are not new in the former French colony, which was formerly known as Dahomey. There have been a total of eight since it gained independence in In October 1975, President Kérérkou's self-proclaimed Marxist-Leninist Government reported that it had foiled an attempted coup by former President Emile Derlin Zinsbu and foreign mercenaries supported by financial powers. Eleven persons were sentenced to death, but Mr. Zinsou, living in exile in Europe, denied that there had been any plot and said that it had been fabricated by Mr. Kérérkou as a pretense for eliminating political opponents. First hints of today's attack came at dawn when the Cotonou radio began playing martial music and urging citizens to block all roads leading out of the city, the country's largest. The radio also urged people living in the lagoon area around Cotonou and the capital of Porto Novo, about 20 miles away, not to let any vessel sail on the Ouémé River toward Togo. Benin radio announced later that the Government had commandeered all taxis and national lottery vehicles equipped with loudspeaker. Foreigners Given Warning Reports reaching Lome, capital of neighboring Togo, said that shooting had been heard early today in the center of Cotonou and around Guezo military camp. The radio urged all foreigners to stay at home. It said members of the Revolutionary Defense Brigades were authorized to search foreigners found on the streets and would either escort them home or detain any suspects. The armed forces of Benin are equipped mainly to maintain internal order. The army is made up of two infantry battalions supported.by an armored unit and a company of paratroopers, while the police force has about 1,000 men in the provinces. The air force has one squadron of DC-3's. The radio later announced that the attackers had been routed and had fled Cotonou. It said that security forces were searching all vehicles throughout the country but especially on roads in the area of Cotonou, Ouidah and Grand Popo to the west of Porto Novo to the east. By midday, Cotonou was reported calm.

6 Questions to Consider 1. What is your country s previous relationship with Benin, or neighboring countries? What about the countries believed to have been involved in the attempted coup? 2. Benin s political scene today, in 1977, still bears the scars of French colonialism. Is colonialism a part of your country s history? If so, were your people and territory subjects of colonialism, or the colonial power exerting control over others? Does this history affect how you view the current situation in Benin? 3. During and after Benin s decolonization and independence, the Marxist People s Revolutionary Party cemented its role as an important and influential force in Benin s politics. How did this political development fit into the broader context of the Cold War? How might it affect Benin s prospects for drawing assistance from the UN? 4. What can the UN do to assist Benin after this attempt? Does the government in Benin require assistance? Does that government live up to the standards that are celebrated in the UN Charter? Is Benin a stable country, or does volatility in Benin create a potential threat to regional security in West Africa? What, if any, role does the UN have in Benin s immediate future and more generally, in assisting newly independent member-states? Further Resources Adesina, Olutayo (2005). "Benin, Republic of (Dahomey) Kérékou, Mathieu (1935 )". In Shillington, Kevin. Encyclopedia of African History. pp. 242 ff. Timeline Dahomey became a territory of France Dahomey became self-governing Dahomey gains independence and becomes a member of the UN President Maga disposed through a coup led by the army s Chief of Staff, Colonel Christopher Soglo General Solo forces the second president, Sourou- Migan Apithy, to step down. Provisional government is formed Third military coup occurs, led by Major Maurice Kouandete Military regime is formed and Dr Emile- Derlin Zinsou is nominated for President Lt Col Kouandete desposes Zinsou Socialist Major Mathiew Kérérkous sizes power, the presidential council members are detained Dahomey becomes known as the People s Republic of Benin. The Marxist People s Revolutionary Party becomes the sole political party within the country. For more information, see: