Regional Overview: Africa | September 2023

Benin: Security cooperation with Niger severed amidst ongoing civilian targeting

Nigerien junta leaders severed military cooperation with Benin on 12 September following a period of heightened tensions provoked by the Nigerien coup in late July. The military junta in Niger accused Benin of considering military aggression by cooperating with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).¹ After the coup in July, ECOWAS – of which Benin is a member – published statements suggesting military action would be taken if deposed President Mohamed Bazoum was not restored to power.² Halting security coordination between the two countries ends strategic arrangements near the shared border region, a porous boundary that insurgents frequently exploit. 

The rupturing of military cooperation comes amid sustained Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) activity in northern Benin near the Niger border in September. Notably, civilian targeting by JNIM remained elevated in Alibori department, including forced disappearances and attacks that left at least nine people dead. JNIM frequently committed violence against those representing local authorities, including police, local chiefs, and suspected government collaborators. In addition to the civilian targeting, JNIM militants attempted to infiltrate the Bako Maka military camp on 8 September, but were repelled by military forces.

Ivory Coast: Ruling party wins municipal and regional elections amid violence

On 2 September, Ivory Coast held municipal and regional elections, resulting in a landslide victory for President Alassane Ouattara’s ruling Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) party. The RHDP party won 61% of municipalities and 83% of regions, while the opposition African People’s Party (PPA-CI) did not win a single seat.³ The opposition Democratic Party and PPA-CI had formed alliances in many areas to challenge the ruling RHDP party. Opposition leaders and supporters claimed that the election was marred by voting irregularities and that some voters were prevented from reaching the ballots, resulting in several parties rejecting the election results and a spate of demonstrations and violence.⁴ The contested elections triggered opposition-led demonstrations as well as clashes between political party supporters, state forces, and competing party supporters across Abidjan, Denguele, Goh-Djiboua, Montagnes, and Zanzan districts. During the voting process, groups also destroyed electoral materials and vandalized Electoral Commission buildings in Denguele, Montagnes, and Woroba districts, forcing the evacuation of electoral agents.⁵

Gabon: Demonstrations escalate after military coup

Demonstrations in Gabon rose by 50% from the previous month following the military coup on 30 August, which deposed former President Ali Bongo. Protesters in Gabon used the coup to demand change from the new leadership, as workers of several government institutions and private companies called for better socio-economic conditions. Demonstrations remained peaceful in September, despite escalating for the fourth consecutive month, reaching the highest levels since April 2019 when students protested widely over grant funding. Amidst the escalating demonstrations, the head of the Republican Guard – General Brice Oligui Nguema – was appointed as the president of the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of the Institutions and was sworn in on 4 September as head of state.⁶ Republican guards released former President Ali Bongo from house arrest on 5 September, citing medical conditions that require treatment outside the country.⁷ Despite Bongo’s detention, thus far, the coup has gone without reported violence or fatalities.

Somalia: Deadly second phase of counter-insurgency in Mudug region

Political violence spiked in Mudug region in September following the launch of the second phase of the government’s counter-insurgency operation against al-Shabaab on 6 August. The offensive, referred to as Operation Black Lion, brings increased focus to Hirshabelle and Galmudug states and further coordination with allied clan militias (for more, see Somalia: The Government and al-Shabaab Vie for the Support of Clan Militias). The level of political violence in Mudug was more than three times higher last month than the average in the year prior, with government forces and allied militias clashing with al-Shabaab on a dozen occasions in Hobyo and Xarardheere districts. Further, American military forces carried out numerous airstrikes targeting al-Shabaab, leading to nearly 200 reported fatalities. Collectively, political violence last month resulted in the highest number of fatalities in the Mudug region since ACLED began recording data for Somalia in 1997.

Sudan: SAF expands aerial warfare in Khartoum

In September, Sudan saw five times more explosive and remote violence, compared to the monthly average since the conflict broke out in April 2023. While shelling and artillery fire also increased, this spike in events was largely due to the Sudanese Armed Forces’s (SAF) expanded use of airstrikes without concurrent ground operations. The SAF has increasingly relied upon airstrikes after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took over several positions in Khartoum last month (for more details, see Sudan: Deadly Reciprocal Offensives for Strategic Locations in Khartoum and Darfur). Remote violence events in September resulted in over 330 reported fatalities, including several high-fatality strikes. In one SAF airstrike on a market in southern Khartoum, over 40 civilians were reportedly killed, and dozens were injured.⁸ Remote violence was extremely concentrated in Khartoum, with over 97% of these events occurring in the capital. 

While the use of airstrikes, artillery, and shelling have been an ongoing feature of the conflict in Sudan (for more details, see Fact Sheet: Conflict Surges in Sudan), these were often used alongside ground operations. The exclusive use of remote violence without concurrent ground engagement averaged only 8% of the total political violence events between April and August, rising to over 35% in September.