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 Republic of Benin
Humanitarian Country Profile | | Background | Last update: August 2007 |
Benin is a small coastal country covering 112, 620 square kilometres and has borders with Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger and Togo. It was once the powerful West African kingdom of Dahomey, headed by the Fon people. During the 17th century, the kingdom expanded by conquering neighbouring kingdoms and became one of the most well-organised empires of West Africa.
Around this time the leaders of Dahomey began selling prisoners of war to Europeans, who used them as slaves. This gave the area the nickname the Slave Coast. European demand for slaves fuelled wars in the region to acquire more prisoners for selling on to Europeans.
After the abolition of the slave trade, the leaders of Dahomey began to trade palm oil with Europeans and the French became interested in annexing the area for colonisation.
The French signed several commercial treaties with the kings of Dahomey, but when they tried to take control of the port of Cotonou they met fierce resistance from King Behanzin, who was eventually exiled and the area was declared a protectorate in 1894.
The country gained independence in 1960 but within a short time the trade unions and political parties that had led the independence movement became fragmented, ethnically divided and regionalized.
By 1963, a successful military coup took place and for the following nine years, the country experienced a series of military coups, changes in government and new constitutions.
In 1972, a Marxist-Leninist group led by Lt-Col Mathieu Kerekou took over the country, which was officially renamed Benin in 1975. Kerekou introduced state planning of the economy and the nationalisation of industry. These policies eventually led to riots, assassinations, strikes, the collapse of the banking system and the accumulation of internal and external debts.
In 1990, in the midst of anti-government protests, a constitutional conference was held and democratic reforms, including multi-party elections, were agreed upon. Elections were held the following year, and Nicephore Soglo won, beating Kerekou, who had remained in power nearly 20 years.
In subsequent elections, however, Kerekou went on to regain the presidency for two terms. The last presidential elections were held in 2006 and independent candidate Boni Yayi won. The country is viewed as a model of democracy in West Africa, a region plagued by political instability.
Peace and security
Benin has had border disputes with all of its neighbours - Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso and Togo.
In 2002, Niger and Benin agreed to have the International Court of Justice determine claims on 25 islands in the River Niger, which separates the two countries. In 2005, the court awarded most of the islands to Niger and since then tensions between the two countries have become less heated.
Villages along the River Okpara are disputed with Nigeria and a joint commission was established to try to resolve the dispute and demarcate the border between the two countries. As a result of the joint task force, Nigeria ceded 13 villages to Benin, but clashes continue to occur between rival villages.
Two villages along the border with Burkina Faso are also under dispute. In 2006, there were minor military skirmishes between the two countries. The dispute was sparked off by the alleged unilateral closure of the common border by Benin. Benin accuses Burkina Faso of moving boundary pillars and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) intervened in the dispute.
The government of Benin http://www.gouv.bj/en/index.php also claims that Togo has moved boundary markers along their border and a joint boundary commission is resurveying the border.
There has also been a rise in crime and banditry along the Nigerian border due to fuel shortages in Benin and strict Nigerian restrictions on Beninese imports. The smuggling of petrol from Nigeria caused several explosions that killed and injured many.
IDPs/Refugees
Following political violence in Togo after elections in April 2005, over 26,000 refugees fled over the border into Benin. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) , 60 percent of the refugees were taken in by family and friends.
Another 11,000 refugees were hosted at two camps, Come and Agame/Lokossa. The government of Benin struggled to provide aid to the refugees and in February 2006, there were clashes between locals and refugees at the Agame/Lokossa camp
In 2006, enough refugees had returned to Togo to close the Come camp. The remaining 493 refugees were moved to the Agame/Lokossa camp, which still hosts over 6,000 refugees.
Efforts are being made by the Togolese government to encourage refugees to return but many remain reluctant.
According to the UNHCR, there are currently 8,100 Togolese refugees left in Benin. There are an additional 7,000 that originate from Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, and Côte d'Ivoire.
There are also an additional 1,300 asylum-seekers in the country.
Democracy and governance
Benin was formerly a dictatorship, governed according to Marxist-Leninist ideology. In 1989, amidst anti-government strikes and demonstrations, and encouraged by the international community, leader Mathieu Kerekou decided to democratise and a constitutional conference was held in 1990 that introduced democratic institutions and made provision for multi-party elections.
Elections were held the following year and Nicephore Soglo beat Kerekou. Kerekou did not contest the results and handed over power, making Benin the first African country to successfully transition from dictatorship to democracy.
Kerekou regained power in 1996 in elections fraught with irregularities and won subsequent elections in 2001. Having served two terms and being over 70, he was ineligible to run in the presidential elections of 2006. Rumours circulated that he would attempt to amend the constitution in order to run, but in keeping with solidifying democracy in Benin, he upheld his pledge to hand over power.
Despite financial constraints and problems with voter registration, the elections were peaceful and considered fair. In a second round of voting, independent candidate and former chairman of the West African Development Bank, Yayi Boni, became president.
His election signalled a desire for change by the population and during the campaign he said that one of his priorities was to breathe new life into the economy by fighting corruption, which has plagued governance and economic development in Benin.
The US State Department notes that although the country has laws and penalties against corruption, judicial action is rare and the problem is endemic. A US company recently paid fines in the USA for giving money to an individual believed to be acting on behalf of former president Kerekou.
The government has tried to combat corruption by establishing an anti-corruption commission and members of civil society, including the Catholic Church, consolidated efforts to launch an active campaign against corruption and create the National Front of Organisations against Corruption (FONAC), a coalition of watchdogs.
Media
Since the arrival of democracy in 1990, Benin has developed a free press environment. There are over 40 daily newspapers, including one that is state-owned. There are also around 50 periodicals, close to 60 public, private and community radio stations, and five TV channels, including one that is state-run. International broadcasters, including the BBC and Radio France Internationale are available.
The media is regulated by the High Authority of Communication and Broadcasting. It is the first African media regulation body officially autonomous from the government and established by a constitution.
Reporters without borders ranked Benin 23rd out of 168 countries on its 2006 Press Freedom Index, making it the highest ranking country in Africa for that year.
In September 2006, however, four local journalists were detained for publishing articles related to the president's son and allegations of wrongdoings by the national police force. The journalists were released but they were the first to be arrested in Benin since 2004.
Economy
Agriculture is the backbone of Benin's economy and most of the population relies on subsistence farming. Cotton makes up 40 percent of the gross domestic product and represents 80 percent of export revenues.
In the past few years, however, Benin's cotton sector has suffered. Production in 2005-2006 was half of the forecasted 500,000 tonnes. The government has set up a commission to investigate problems observed during the past year's cotton farming campaign. Weak production is blamed on bad climatic conditions and poor management of farmers' organisations.
The country also produces palm products, textiles and cocoa for export. Subsistence farming consists mainly of corn, beans, peanuts, rice, pineapples and cashews. The country also extracted offshore oil, and although production has ceased, exploration for new sources is ongoing.
Benin's geographic position along the Atlantic coast of Africa makes it a transit point for exports and imports for some of its landlocked neighbours, particularly Nigeria. Benin, however, is vulnerable to developments in Nigeria. Recent events, including a shortage of fuel in Benin, strict Nigerian customs regulations that ban several imported items from Benin and an unfavourable exchange rate with the Nigerian currency, have led to a downturn in the economy and contributed to a rise in smuggling and criminal activity along the border.
Despite these recent economic difficulties, the country has made economic progress since reverting to democracy in 1990. It has privatised several national companies, liberalised the economy and encouraged foreign investment. In 2005, the country received 100 percent debt relief from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that amounted to US$54 million.
In February 2006, Benin also received approval for a US$307 million grant from the Millennium Challenge Corporation that aims to improve the investment climate of the country and diversify the private sector.
The IMF has noted that the government needs to improve transparency in public spending, continue to privatize, encourage private sector development, attract foreign investment in building electricity generating facilities to relieve dependence on Ghanaian produced electricity, and intensify efforts to increase the competitiveness of the port of Cotonou.
Population
Benin has a population of 8.2 million with most people concentrated in the south. The growth rate is 2.9 percent and on average women give birth to 5.9 children. One of the main characteristics of Benin's population is that it is very young, with 50 percent of the population under 16.
There are around 42 ethnic groups in the country. The most prominent are the Yoruba in the north, the Fon in the south-central area, the Adjara along the coast, and the Bariba in the northeast.
French is the official language, although in the south Yoruba and Fon are spoken by most ethnic groups, and in the north, several tribal languages are used.
Traditional beliefs in Benin, including voodoo, are practiced by 50 percent of the population. It is thought that slaves taken from this part of Africa brought the practice of voodoo to Brazil and the Caribbean Islands. Christianity, mainly Catholicism, is practiced by 30 percent of the population, and 20 percent are Muslim.
Development indicators
According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)'s Human Development Index Benin is ranked 163 out of 177 countries. The country has fallen by 10 positions since 2001, mainly due to poverty. One-third of the population is rated poor while 16 percent are reported to live in extreme poverty.
The adult literacy rate is 34.7 percent and the combined primary, secondary and tertiary gross enrolment rate is 49.4 percent.
Life expectancy at birth is 54.3 years and the probability of not surviving past the age of 40 is 30 percent. One-third of the population does not have access to an improved water source and 23 percent of children under five are underweight.
Education
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) , 72 percent of girls and 93 percent of boys are enrolled in primary school, and 49 percent complete the full course of primary education.
High gender disparity in education is reflected in a low literacy rate amongst women, which stands at 25 percent. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) noted that only one in three girls attend school and out of those enrolled most drop out before completing primary school. In order to encourage girls' education in the country, the government made education tuition-free for girls in the early 1990s. In June 2006, the government supported by UNICEF, launched a major campaign to promote the education of girls, which included billboards, film screenings and over 5,000 motorbike taxi drivers donning shirts with the campaign logo.
New president Boni Yayi also made public primary school free for all at the beginning of the 2006 school year.
At the secondary level, enrolment rates remain low. According to UNESCO, 34 percent of boys and 18 percent of girls are in secondary school.
Children
Benin has a Ministry of Family and a National Commission on the Rights of Children to provide for the welfare of children. However, scarce resources mean that many abuses against children's rights take place.
Child labour is a pervasive problem. According to UNICEF 39 percent of children are engaged in some form of labour. Child trafficking has become a related problem to child labour. Children were trafficked to Nigeria, Ghana and Gabon for indentured servitude or domestic labour, farm work and prostitution. Some were also sent to work in stone and granite quarries in dangerous conditions.
UNICEF found that there are four forms of child trafficking in the country: `traffic-don', where a child is given to a migrant family member who then hands the child over to a stranger for vocational training; `traffic-gage', where a child is indentured until a debt is considered paid off; `traffic-ouvrier', where children aged 6-12are trafficked to work as artisans, construction workers, agricultural labourers or domestic workers; and `traffic-vente', which is the direct sale of children. `Traffic-ouvrier' is the most common type of child trafficking.
In July 2006, Benin signed a multilateral accord with other West African countries to combat child trafficking and the government has stepped up efforts in arresting and convicting child traffickers.
The NGO Aide et Action also noted that the traditional practice of `vidomegon' is harmful to the welfare of children. `Vidomegon' is where a child from a poor family is sent to work for a wealthy family. Over 90 percent of children involved in `vidomegon' are girls and there have been reports of escalating abuse in these types of arrangements.
There are also several myths surrounding childbirth that lead to infanticide. If a child is deformed, born breech, if the mother dies during childbirth or if there are any other deviations from standard childbirth, the child is considered a sorcerer and is usually killed. There have been many awareness raising campaigns by NGOs, but the practice persists.
Child marriage is also practiced and, according to UNICEF, 37 percent of girls are married before the age of 18. One of the traditions associated with child marriage amongst some tribes in Benin is for a groom to abduct and rape his prospective bride. Marriage before the age of 14 is outlawed and campaigns have been organised to discourage the practice.
A report by the World Organisation Against Torture found that physical violence against children is widespread and occurs not only in the home but at school as well.
Infant and under five mortality rates are also very high, with 89 infants dying for every 1,000 births and 150 out of 1,000 children dying before reaching the age of five.
Health
Widespread poverty and rural isolation prevent many people from seeking medical help in Benin. The country's 2005 health directory reported that only 37 percent of the population frequented health centres.
The World Health Organisationreports that there are only four doctors for every 100,000 people in Benin and according to the 2001 demographic and health survey, the maternal mortality rate is 498 deaths for every 100,000 live births.
Only 33 percent of the population has access to adequate sanitation facilities and this rate drops to 11 percent in rural areas.
A vast rural water engineering programme has been put in place and brought potable water to many villages. Currently, 67 percent of the population has access to an improved water source.
The country has experienced occasional outbreaks of cholera.
HIV/AIDS
The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) places the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Benin at 1.8 percent. The country has a well-organised ante-natal clinic surveillance system in place to collect data on the epidemic. Studies show that the prevalence is declining. Rates have even declined among sex workers - going from 59.5 percent in 1999 to 38.9 percent in 2002.
According to UNAIDS, 87,000 people in the country are living with the disease, and out of those, 45,000 are women aged 15 and over. There are also 9,800 children under 14 that are infected with HIV/AIDS and 62,000 children under 17 have been orphaned by the disease.
Approximately 33 percent of HIV-infected men and women receive anti-retroviral therapy and 38 percent of pregnant women are receiving treatment to reduce mother-to-child transmission.
Knowledge about HIV/AIDS prevention remains low among those aged 15-24. Only 14 percent of men and eight percent of women in that age range could identify ways to prevent infection.
Food security
Although in theory Benin is self-sufficient in terms of food, there are still problems with food security.
A 2002 vulnerability assessment done by the World Food Programme (WFP) found that 33 of the country's 77 districts are at risk of food insecurity.
The WFP also reported that 23 percent of children under five show signs of moderate stunting and 11 percent of children suffer from severe malnutrition. The northern districts of Malamville and Karimama bordering Niger have the highest rates of nutritional deficiencies.
Parts of the north also experienced locust infestations and poor rains in 2004 and 2005 that had a negative impact on food security there.
An influx of refugees from Togo in 2005 due to political conflict there and a food crisis in Niger also put strains on Benin's food supply, and had a visible impact on the population.
WFP also identified the following as potential risks to food security in Benin: poverty, particularly in the north; an unhealthy cotton industry that has impoverished some farmers; the degradation of traditional farmland; and potential crises in neighbouring countries.
Gender issues
Article 26 of Benin's constitution guarantees the equality of all citizens regardless of sex and the 2004 family code provides women with inheritance and property rights and increased women's rights in marriage, including the prohibition of polygamy. The practice is tolerated. However, only one wife is recognised by law and can benefit from inheritance rights.
In an assessment of the status of women in Benin, the NGO Women, Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF) stated that although laws existed to promote women's rights they were rarely enforced due to societal and cultural beliefs.
It noted that although forced and child marriages are illegal, they are still frequent and that domestic violence was tolerated.
Excision (female genital mutilation/cutting) has been outlawed, but continues to be practiced, particularly in the north of the country. The US State Department estimates that 17 percent of women have undergone excision. It is performed on females ranging from infancy to the age of 30.
WILDAF found that several factors hindered women's rights, including a lack of knowledge and a high illiteracy rate amongst women, the weight of tradition, and a lack of judicial resources.
At the political level, there were five female deputies out of 82 and four female ministers out of 17.
Human rights
Human rights in Benin are generally respected, particularly from the time the country became a democracy. A human rights report by the U.S. State Department found that certain abuses still occurred. There was use of excessive force by police, harsh prison conditions, judicial corruption which led to mob justice, prolonged pre-trial detentions, arbitrary arrests and human trafficking.
Humanitarian needs
With over one-third of the population living on less than US$1 per day, eradicating poverty remains the biggest humanitarian need in the country.
Assistance is also required with remaining refugees from Togo. |
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| Benin in figures | · Population: 8.2 million
· Pop. growth rate: 2.9%
· GDP per capita: $1,091
· Debt service of GDP: 1.6%
· Pop. below poverty line: 29%
· Life expectancy: 54.3 years
· Infant mortality: 89 deaths/1,000 live births
· Access to med. services: NA
· HIV prevalence: 1.8%
· Access to clean water: (urban 79%, rural, 60%)
· Access to electricity: (urban 50%, rural 6%)
· Literacy rate: (men, 48%), (women 23%)
· Doctors/people: 0.04/1000
· Displaced people: NA
· Refugees: 30, 294
· Human development index:0.428 (HDI 2006 Rank 163 out of 177)
Sources: UNDP, UNICEF, OCHA, World Bank, UNAIDS |
| Basic facts | Capital: Porto-Novo
Language: French (official), Fon and Yoruba
Ethnic Groups (%): Fon 39.2%, Adjara 15.2%, Yoruba 12.3%, Bariba 9.2%, Fulani 7%, Somba 6.1%, Yoa-Lokpa 4%, other 7%
Religions (%): Indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%
Geography: Mostly flat plains, except for the Atacora Mountains along the northwest border. Tropical climate: humid in south and semiarid in north. It has a 121km coastline along the Atlantic and several tributaries of the River Niger
Border countries: Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria and Togo
Natural resources: Forestry, fishing, gold, coal, crude petroleum
Agriculture products: Cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, dry beans, pineapple, livestock
Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica, New Internationalist |
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