Beninese campaign for economic justice and democracy, 1989-90
Summary
Benin gained its independence from France in 1960 and was then named Dahomey. Colonel Mathieu Kérékou took power of the country in a coup in 1972 and later renamed the country the People’s Republic of Benin, organized the economy under a Marxist-Leninist ideology, and outlawed all political parties except his People’s Revolutionary Party of Benin. By the 1980s, Kérékou remained as the president of Benin, but the economy was failing. The government had to lower government aid to students and the salaries for civil servants and in 1988 the state owned banks crashed. Faced with great debt, Benin . [source: nv-database]
Tactics used
Tactics used
- boycotts and strikes
- marches
- noncooperation
- letters-of-opposition-or-support
- declarations-of-indictment-and-intention
- banners-posters-and-displayed-communications
- destruction-of-own-property
- assemblies-of-protest-or-support
- wearing-of-symbols
- petitions and e campaigning
- deputations
Background
In response to this failure to pay grants and the government’s announcement that it would be ending student scholarships, high school and university students began a strike on January 9, 1989 in the cities of Cotonou and Porto Novo. Some students returned to schools as early as the next day and the government sent troops to attempt to stop demonstrations in Cotonou. After two days, the students ended this first strike when the government promised to pay part of the arrears in grants that it owed to the students. [source: nv-database]
What happened
However, the students at the National University in Cotonou began what they said would be a 3-day strike on January 17, still demanding the arrears in grants owed by the government. Striking students tried to march to the presidential palace on that first day, but soldiers stopped them and arrested several of the demonstrators. The next day several students met with University officials and announced that they would continue their strike beyond the stated 3 days unless the state paid the arrears and guaranteed further scholarships. By January 19, 1989, secondary school teachers and civil servants from the Finance Ministry had joined the strike demanding that the government pay their salaries for the last four months of 1988. While some civil servants stayed away from work, others went to their offices, but refused to do any assigned tasks. Two days later, while students, teachers, and civil servants continued the strike beyond the 3-day window, the government’s National Executive Council announced on the radio that any workers who did not return to work would be forfeiting their jobs with the government. Following this announcement, the university students stated that they would continue their strike indefinitely until their grants were paid. When their first call to end the strike failed, the government’s Interior Minister called on “all vigilant citizens” to defeat the demonstrators with force. In Porto Novo on January 23 students clashed with security forces, some demonstrators burned pictures of President Kérékou and others looted some government buildings. However, demonstrators in Cotonou remained peaceful. Then, on January 24, the Defense Ministry announced that security forces would fire without warning on all assemblies on public roads and sent 300 additional troops to Porto Novo to prevent riots. There was no more known violence after the in this period of the campaign. Furthermore, the government ordered the banks to prepare payment for government employees for the months of October and November 1988. Although the government had paid much of the military, the campaigners remained unpaid. As the civil servants continued to strike, the government announced that they would dismiss all strikers if they did not return to work by January 31. On February 2, the government sacked all striking civil servants and began to replace them with young, unemployed. [source: nv-database]
Key people & organizations
- University Students [source: nv-database]
- Trade Union Leaders [source: nv-database]
- Teachers [source: nv-database]
- Laurent Mentognon [source: nv-database]
- Communist Party of Dahomey [source: nv-database]
- National Union of Teachers in Higher Institutions [source: nv-database]
- Benin National Union of Post and Telecommunications Workers [source: nv-database]
Outcome
Verdict: won.
Per the source’s scoring rubric, the campaign scored 5 out of 6 points on achieving specific demands/goals, 1 out of 1 points on survival, and 3 out of 3 points on growth — for 9 out of 10 points overall. [source: nv-database]
Students, civil servants, and teachers received at least several months’ worth of arrears, but it is not clear if they received all the salary and grant arrears that they demanded. The government agreed to reinstate the scholarship system. Through the national conference as a result of the strikes, the government was democratized and Benin held successful open elections in 1991. One point was taken from success in achieving goals because it was not known how much of the arrears were paid. All known unions and groups involved survived despite some repression. The campaign grew from a group of students to encompass most teachers and civil servants and many other citizens and political groups. [source: nv-database]
Lessons
- Sustained, broad-based nonviolent mobilization can win measurable concessions even against entrenched regimes.
- Students, civil servants, and teachers received at least several months’ worth of arrears, but it is not clear if they received all the salary and grant arrears that they demanded. [source: nv-database]
- Public marches and assemblies create visibility but require shielding from state repression to remain effective.
- Economic pressure through strikes remains a core lever for labor and pro-democracy campaigns in West Africa.
Sources
- Global Nonviolent Action Database —
[[nv-database]]
Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.
Sources & verification
nv-database— grounding: primary — license: link-only- Built: 2026-07-04 from GNVAD content via T1 balance pipeline.