The Republic of Benin faces one of its deadliest militant attacks in recent years, as at least 54 soldiers lost their lives in coordinated assaults on military posts in the northern Alibori department, bordering Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria.

The al-Qaida-linked extremist group JNIM claimed responsibility for the April 17 attack, boasting of a higher death toll, according to SITE Intelligence Group reports. Initially, authorities had disclosed only eight casualties, but the government has now confirmed the significant loss of personnel.

For years, Benin has experienced escalating spillover violence from Sahel nations battling extremist groups. The W-Arly-Pendjari Complex, a vast transnational park, has become a strategic base for militant operations, enabling cross-border attacks in an area where state presence remains fragile.

Government spokesperson Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji lamented the lack of coordinated regional security efforts, pointing to the absence of robust military action from neighboring countries. “If, on the other side of the border, there was a force like ours, these attacks would not take place in this way or would not even occur,” he stated.

As instability deepens in West Africa, observers warn of the growing reach of armed groups across regional borders, exacerbating insecurity and posing challenges to sovereignty and peace.

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