The Associated Press reported that democracy arrived in the West African coastal nation of Benin in 1991, when longtime military ruler Mathieu Kérékou lost a presidential election he had overseen. Kérékou, who had governed by decree, had concentrated power in part by suppressing the practice of Voodoo — known locally as Vodún — whose priests he viewed as rivals to his authority. He banned so-called sorcerers, labeling their activities subversive.
The opposition figure who defeated Kérékou, Nicéphore Soglo, took a different approach. Soglo formally recognized Voodoo as part of Benin’s national heritage, restoring its public practice and emphasizing the religious tolerance that had long characterized the region. The AP described the shift as one that Kérékou would later attempt to emulate.
Kérékou sought and won reelection in 1996, and by then had publicly embraced the inclusive stance toward Voodoo that Soglo had established. His second tenure marked a transformation from dictator to democratically elected president, though the country’s democratic institutions continued to deepen under successive leaders.
Over the following two decades and three presidencies, Benin held regular elections and transferred power without the military interventions that have plagued much of West Africa. The region has been described as “the coup belt” because of a wave of military takeoffs since 2020 in countries including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Gabon. Benin has remained a notable exception.
The most recent peaceful transition occurred on May 24, 2026, when President Romuald Wadagni was inaugurated to replace Patrice Talon, who stepped down after serving two terms in accordance with constitutional term limits. The handover underscored the durability of the democratic system that had its roots in the post-1991 political opening — and in the rehabilitation of the country’s indigenous faith.