Benin : Ambassador Arouna Sounds Alarm Bells On Talon’s Dictatorship In New Book
February 25, 2025
By Ajong Mbapndah L
Ambassador Arouna’s book titled the Shadow of Power in Benin was written to shed light on the harrowing realities of political power and human rights under the regime of Patrice Talon
Once seen as a reference in Africa, the democratic success story of Benin has hit major speed bumps with the dictatorial leadership of current president Patrice Talon. The assessment comes from Ambassador Omar Arouna a former envoy of the Western African nation to Washington, DC.
From curtailing freedom of speech, muzzling the pressing, jailing political opponents, and scheming to do a way with constitutional term limits so as to remain in power, Ambassador Arouna said. Fielding questions in a fireside chat on his book at the Reagan Center in Washington, DC, Ambassador Arouna said it was unconscionable for the international community to remain indifferent to looming calamity that President Talon is bringing on Benin with his dictatorial tendencies.
The fireside chat was heavily attended and saw a rich exchange on developments in Benin and Africa as well as the future of US-African relations
Term limits that have been a hallmark of democracy in Benin since the 9os are at the verge of been terminated. Political opponents like Reckya Madougou are languishing in jail, and other politicians and civil society actors who dare to challenge Talon are at risk.
Ambassador Arouna’s book titled the Shadow of Power in Benin was written to shed light on the harrowing realities of political power and human rights under the regime of Patrice Talon. In the fireside organized by the Black Professionals in International Affairs (BPIA) and moderated by Dr Abbey Ogunwale, Ambassador Arouna said in addition to using the book to shed light on the increasingly dangerous and sad developments in his homeland, his vision was also to inspire dialogue on democracy in Africa and beyond.
The event which was attended by some members of the African Diplomatic corps, the African diaspora, students and some heavy weights of the Washington,DC-Africa nexus saw a rich exchange on the challenges, hopes and fears not just for Benin and Africa but also on the future of relations between the USA and Africa with a new administration in place.
The event was moderated by Dr. Abbey Ogunwale, and was organized by the Black Professionals in International Affairs (BPIA)
In addition to the rich exchanges from the Q and A , participants had the opportunity to further interact with Ambassador Arouna during the book signing that ended the event. As Ambassador of Benin to the USA, Omar Arouna was instrumental in negotiating a successful Millenium Challenge Corporation Compact for his country.
A highly respected and influential voice on African affairs around Washington DC, Ambassador Omar also serves as President of Global Public Affairs and Engagements at Gunster Strategies Worldwide. In addition to his work at Gunster Strategies Worldwide, Ambassador Arouna is the Founder and Chairman of the Center for Cyber diplomacy and Leadership (CCDL) at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. CCDL is dedicated to preparing the next generation of African leaders to address emerging challenges in the digital age.
