Since the beginning of the week, demonstrations have multiplied across the country to challenge the outgoing president Patrice Talon, who is running for re-election, in front of two other candidates who are considered insignificant. In Savè, a city in the center of the country, Thursday was particularly tense: soldiers intervened to clear barricades on the Parakou axis and fired live ammunition at protesters who killed two.
as reported from Cotonou, Jean-Luc Aplogan
The number of deaths has increased. Local sources report a second death in Savè. This is one of the injured, affected Thursdays, who gave in. This leads to tolls, on the civilian side, to two dead and four wounded in the locality. Well-informed sources also report injuries on the military side.
The city, located 250 kilometers north of Cotonou, today looks like a frozen city. Everyone is hollowed out at home, no markets, no entertainment. There is a curfew. The army is still there, looking over its shoulder to prevent new barricades.
On Friday, new collisions also opposed police against protesters on this road junction in Parakou. Anti-Talon protesters hindered the two main axes leading to the north. This is the truck route to neighboring countries. It is also the road to Cena, the election commission, which will move the election material in the northern part of the country.
In Papané, the gateway to Tchaourou, the hometown of former President Thomas Boni Yayi, about 60 kilometers from Parakou, several witnesses said they heard gunfire on Friday. Reinforcements responsible for clearing the road arrived at the scene Thursday afternoon and did not advance much, according to our information. It is difficult to have a balance sheet at the moment and the situation is still tense in place.
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