Benin Republic government says 54 soldiers killed in jihadist attack

The government of the Benin Republic has confirmed that 54 soldiers were killed in an attack by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al Qaeda affiliate, in the country’s north last week.

This official death toll is lower than the 70 casualties claimed by JNIM following raids on two military posts in northern Benin on Saturday, according to Reuters and the SITE Intelligence Group.

Serge Nonvignon, a presidential spokesman, posted on Facebook on Wednesday that the incident caused “Heavy losses for the nation.”

The Benin Republic and neighbouring Togo have experienced increasing jihadist activity in recent years, as groups connected to the Islamic State and al-Qaeda have expanded from the Sahel region into northern areas

Another government spokesperson, Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji, emphasised that Benin remains committed to fighting the jihadists. “We can’t give in… I can guarantee you that eventually, eventually, we are going to win,” he stated.

The Sahel insurgency began following a Tuareg rebellion in northern Mali in 2012 and has since spread to neighbouring countries, including Burkina Faso and Niger, before reaching coastal West African nations like Benin. The conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths and millions of displaced people, contributing to five military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger between 2020 and 2023.

A report from July 2024 indicated there is substantial evidence that jihadi fighters from the Sahel region have crossed into Nigeria through the Benin Republic border.