Benin Former President Departs For France

The former President of Benin Thomas Boni Yayi has departed the country and is headed for medical treatment in France.

Boni Yayi has been under effective house arrest following contested elections in the country held in April with his resident surrounded by security officials.

His lawyers have previously warned of the former leaders ailing health and urged the authorities to allow medical practitioners to access Boni Yayi’s home.

The 2019 elections have been disputed on the basis that only two political parties, both seen as loyal to President Patrice Talon, were permitted to participate. Turnout during the polls was around 23 percent and following the vote hundreds of protestors took to the streets to demonstrate. Soldiers fired at the crowds with four deaths confirmed and more rumoured.

Boni Yayi served as president of Benin between 2006 and 2016. He ran into trouble with the authorities following his involvement in a demonstration ahead of the elections calling for a postponement and calls for a return to democracy.

Ahead of April’s elections Amnesty International had warned of a "wave of arbitrary arrests of political activists and journalists, and the crackdown on peaceful protests.”