Democracy Under Threat in Benin 

DAKAR - As Benin awaits results from Sunday’s election, many hoped the small, West African country would continue its tradition as a beacon of democracy in the region.  But analysts worry Benin is following the path of neighbors like Chad, which held elections the same day and is expected to extend President Idriss Deby's 30-year rule.  

Benin made history in 1991 when it became the first mainland sub-Saharan African country to peacefully vote out an incumbent leader.  But critics and political analysts say Benin’s reputation as a stable democracy has begun to erode under President Patrice Talon.   Though he’s been praised for growing Benin’s economy and infrastructure, Talon has been widely panned for quashing critics.    After winning a five-year term in 2016, he broke a promise not to run again and pushed through election laws that sidelined opponents or forced them into exile.