Wayzata World Factbook 1996/The World Factbook - 1996 Edition - Wayzata Technology (3079) (1996).iso/pc/text/humanrts/benin.txt

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TITLE:  BENIN HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES, 1994
AUTHOR:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DATE:  FEBRUARY 1995


                             BENIN


The Republic of Benin is a constitutional democracy headed by
President Nicephore Soglo, who was elected in free and fair
elections in 1991.  There are 24 political parties represented
in the 64-member National Assembly.  No party or grouping
commands a majority of seats.  The President resorted to
emergency powers to pass his 1994 budget and fulfill the
country's commitments to international financial institutions.

The civilian-controlled security forces consist of the armed
forces under the direction of the Minister of Defense and the
police force under the Minister of Interior.  The two ministers
also share authority over the gendarmerie, which exercises
police functions in rural areas.  Although the military
continued to play an apolitical role in government affairs,
there were some concerns about morale within its ranks, its
ethnic imbalance, and the depth of its commitment to
constitutional rule.

The economy is based largely on subsistence agriculture, cotton
production, regional trade, and small-scale offshore oil
production.  The Government continued its austerity program to
privatize state-owned enterprises, reduce fiscal expenditures,
and deregulate trade.  However, the country continues to suffer
from a bloated and inefficient bureaucracy, high debt-servicing
costs, and widespread unemployment.

Overall, the Government continued to respect the fundamental
rights provided for in the 1990 Constitution.  The major human
rights problems continued to be the failure by police forces to
curtail acts of vigilantism and mob justice; serious
administrative delays in processing criminal cases with
attendant denial of timely fair trials; harsh and unhealthy
prison conditions; societal discrimination and violence against
women and the abuse of children.  The Government finally
brought to trial those detained for coup plotting in 1992; it
acquitted 3 and convicted 24 persons.

RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Section 1  Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including
           Freedom from:

     a.  Political and Other Extrajudicial Killing

There were no reports of political or extrajudicial killing.

     b.  Disappearance

There were no reports of disappearances.

     c.  Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading
         Treatment or Punishment

The Constitution prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman, and
degrading treatment, and there were no reports that government
forces employed it.  The Government began making payments to
victims of torture under the previous military regime which
ruled from 1972 to 1989.

A rising crime rate and a lack of police responsiveness led to
more reports of mob justice.  Mobs reportedly inflicted severe
injuries on suspected criminals, particularly thieves caught in
the act.  Although a number of these incidents took place in
urban areas, there were no indications that the Government
investigated or prosecuted anyone involved.

Prison conditions continue to be harsh.  Extensive overcrowding
and lack of proper sanitation and medical facilities pose a
risk to prisoners' health.  The prison diet is grossly
inadequate, and malnutrition and disease are common.  Prisoners
are allowed to meet with visitors.

     d.  Arbitrary Arrest, Detention, or Exile

The Constitution prohibits detention of persons for more than
48 hours without a hearing by a magistrate, whose order is
required for continued detention.  However, there were credible
reports that authorities exceed this 48-hour limit in many
cases, sometimes by as much as a week, using the accepted
practice of holding a person without specified time limit "at
the disposition of" the public prosecutor's office before
presenting the case to a magistrate.  There were no reports of
incommunicado detention.  Approximately 75 percent of prisoners
are pretrial detainees.  Arbitrary arrest is not routine but
does occur occasionally.

There were no reports that the Government held any political
detainees at year's end.  Early in 1994 the Government
provisionally released, pending their trials, the country's
former intelligence chief and his deputy who allegedly carried
out acts of torture under the old regime.  The Government had
held the pair on charges of torture, one since late 1991, the
other since late 1992.

President Soglo at the end of the year announced a one-half
reduction in the prison terms of those convicted of offenses
after August 1.  He excluded those sentenced for murder and
certain other felonies, as well as those convicted of
embezzlement of public funds.

In August the Government began the trial of a group of 27,
largely military officers, of whom 16 were tried in absentia.
Most had been held for over 2 years; international human rights
groups had expressed concern.  The trial ended in September.

The Constitution prohibits forced exile of any citizens, and
many who went into exile under previous governments have
returned.

     e.  Denial of Fair Public Trial

The legal system is based on French civil law and local
customary law.  A civilian court system operates on the
national and provincial levels.  Military disciplinary councils
deal with minor offenses by military members but have no
jurisdiction over civilians.  There is only one court of
appeals.

The President appoints career magistrates as judges in civil
courts.  Although the Constitution provides that the Ministry
of Justice has administrative authority over judges, officials
are answerable only to the law in carrying out their duties.
The Ministry may, however, transfer judges.  Inadequate
facilities and overcrowded dockets result in slow
administration of justice.  The relatively low salaries of
magistrates and clerks have a demoralizing effect on their
commitment to efficient and timely justice and make them
susceptible to corruption.

A defendant has the right to be present at trial and to
representation by an attorney, at public expense if necessary.
In practice, the court provides indigent defendants
court-appointed counsel upon request.  Trials are open to the
public.

The Supreme Court is the court of last resort in all
administrative and judicial matters, and the new Constitutional
Court is charged with passing on the constitutionality of
laws.  The Constitutional Court, seated in June 1993, decides
disputes between the President and the National Assembly.  Its
rulings against both the executive and legislative branches
indicated its independence from these two branches of
government.  The Constitution also provides that a High Court
of Justice convene when necessary to preside over crimes
against the nation committed by the President or government
ministers.

The Government held no political prisoners.

     f.  Arbitrary Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or
         Correspondence

The Constitution provides for, and the Government respected in
practice, the inviolability of private property and the home,
as well as the privacy of personal correspondence and
communications.  Police are required to obtain a judicial
warrant before entering a private home, a requirement observed
in practice.

Section 2  Respect for Civil Liberties, Including:

     a.  Freedom of Speech and Press

The Constitution provides for freedom of expression and of the
press and other media; the Government generally respected these
rights.  There is a large and active private press consisting
of more than a dozen private newspapers.  A major new
independent daily newspaper which frequently criticizes the
Government began publishing in 1994.

The Government continued to own and operate the local radio and
television stations and a daily newspaper, the media most
influential in reaching the public.  Nevertheless, journalists
continued to cover sensitive matters and to criticize the
Government.  This included strong criticism of the President's
exercise of emergency powers to implement the budget.

A major increase in defamation suits accompanied the rise of
the free press.  Due to the President's grant of a reduction in
sentences, authorities released a journalist early who had been
convicted in 1993 of libel and sentenced to 1 year in prison.
The Government does not censor foreign books or artistic works
and foreign periodicals are widely available at newsstands.
The High Authority for Audio-Visual and Communications (HAAC),
a new constitutionally mandated body, began its preliminary
work to develop private radio stations.  By year's end, it had
not approved any licenses.  The Government, without prior
consultation with the HAAC, adopted two decrees in September
which regulated movie and video clubs.

In general, academic freedom is respected.  University
professors are permitted to lecture freely, conduct research,
and publish their work.

     b.  Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association

The Constitution provides for the rights of peaceful assembly
and association, and these rights were generally respected.
The Government on two occasions disbanded labor meetings (see
Section 6.a.).  The Government requires permits for use of
public places for demonstrations, and requires associations to
register.  However, it routinely grants both permits and
registrations.  The Government did not take any actions against
nonregistered organizations for failure or refusal to register.

     c.  Freedom of Religion

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the
Government observed it in practice.

     d.  Freedom of Movement Within the Country, Foreign
         Travel, Emigration, and Repatriation

The presence of police, gendarmerie, and illegal roadblocks
impedes domestic movement.  Though ostensibly meant to enforce
automotive safety and customs regulations, many of these
checkpoints serve as a means for officials to exact bribes from
travelers.

The Government's policy toward transhumance allows migratory
Fulani herdsmen from other countries to enter freely; it does
not enforce designated entry points.  In recent years, friction
between native farmers and itinerant foreign herders has
sometimes led to violence.

The Government does not restrict international travel for
political reasons, and those who travel abroad may return
without hindrance.  Benin hosts some 50,000 Togolese refugees
who are protected and assisted by the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).  The Togolese Government has
pressured Benin to deny asylum and to repatriate refugees
forcibly, most of whom are members of or are sympathetic to
opposition groups.  The Government has resisted this pressure
and continues to maintain an open-door policy toward refugees.
There were no reports of forced repatriation.

Section 3  Respect for Political Rights:  The Right of Citizens
           to Change Their Government

Citizens exercised this constitutional right in free and fair
elections in 1991.  The Constitution provides for a 5-year term
of office for the President (who is limited to 2 terms) and
4-year terms for National Assembly members (who may serve an
unlimited number of terms).  National Assembly elections are
scheduled for March 1995, with presidential elections in 1996.
More than a dozen new parties were created in 1994; others
folded or merged.  Voting is by secret ballot and the franchise
extends to all adults.

Women participate actively in political parties, but there are
only 2 women in the 19-member Cabinet and 3 in the 64-member
National Assembly.  The President of the Constitutional Court
is a woman, and the HAAC and the Economic and Social Council
each have one female member.

Section 4  Governmental Attitude Regarding International and
           Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations
           of Human Rights

Several nongovernmental organizations (NGO's) monitor human
rights without restriction or interference by the Government.
These organizations include:  the Human Rights Commission; the
Study and Research Group on Democracy and Economic and Social
Development; the Association of Christians Against Torture; and
the League for the Defense of Human Rights in Benin.  The Human
Rights Commission regularly investigated complaints it received
about police violence, arbitrary arrests, illegal detentions,
abuses of authority, and interference with labor rights.

In 1994 the Government provided a detailed response to Amnesty
International's 1993 report on the human rights situation in
Benin.

Section 5  Discrimination Based on Race, Sex, Religion,
           Disability, Language, or Social Status

The Constitution prohibits discrimination based on race, sex,
and religion.

     Women

Although the Constitution provides for equality for women in
the political, economic, and social spheres, women experience
extensive societal discrimination, especially in rural areas,
where they occupy a subordinate role and are responsible for
much of the hard work on subsistence farms.  In urban areas,
women dominate the trading sector in the open-air markets.  By
law, women have equal inheritance and property rights, but
local custom in some areas prevents them from inheriting real
property.  Women are underrepresented in government positions
and do not enjoy the same educational opportunities as men.  In
some parts of the country, girls receive no education at all.

While no statistics are available, violence against women,
including wife beating, occurs.  It is not considered
widespread.  The press sometimes reports incidents of abuse of
women, but judges and police are reluctant to intervene,
considering such abuse a family matter.

     Children

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is charged generally
with the protection of children's rights and focuses primarily
on education and health issues.  There is no broad pattern of
societal abuse against children, nor is there child
prostitution.  There are some traditional practices that
inflict violence on children which the Government has been
vigorous in its efforts to end, including prosecuting
offenders.  These practices include the killing of deformed
babies (thought to be sorcerers in some rural areas) and a
tradition in which a groom abducts and rapes the prospective
(under 14 years of age) bride.  In a much-publicized case in
July, a criminal court sentenced a mother and her accomplices
to 15 years in prison at hard labor for arranging the 1988
kidnaping and sale of her 8-year-old son.

Female genital mutilation (FGM), which is condemned by
international health experts as damaging to physical and mental
health, is practiced on females at a young age as well as on
teenage girls and women up to age 30.  Studies suggest at least
4 percent of Beninese women are affected by this practice,
mostly in the northern provinces.  Recent research by an NGO
found that those who perform such circumcisions, themselves
often elderly women, have a strong profit motive in the
continued practice.  The Government has cooperated with an
Inter-African committee working against FGM by making available
locally produced posters and pamphlets at government health
clinics even though FGM is not illegal.

     National/Racial/Ethnic Minorities

Benin has a long history of regional rivalry.  Although
southerners dominate the Government's senior ranks, northerners
dominate the military.  The south has enjoyed more advanced
economic development, a larger population, and has
traditionally held favored status.

     Religious Minorities

There is no official religion and no single dominant religion.

     People with Disabilities

Although the Constitution mandates that the State "look after
the handicapped," the Government does not mandate accessibility
for disabled persons.  The Government operates a number of
social centers for disabled persons to assist their social
integration.  Nonetheless, many are unable to find employment
and must resort to begging to support themselves.

Section 6  Worker Rights

     a.  The Right of Association

The Constitution provides workers with the freedom to organize,
join unions, meet, and strike, and those rights are usually
respected in practice.  The labor force of about 2 million is
primarily engaged in subsistence agriculture (80 percent), with
less than 2 percent of the population engaged in the modern
(wage) sector.  Approximately 75 percent of wage earners belong
to labor unions.  There are four union confederations;
confederations and individual unions have the right to
affiliate internationally.  Unions are generally independent of
the Government and political parties, but there were growing
efforts by some members of the National Assembly to coopt the
unions in their disputes with the Government.  The Economic and
Social Council, a constitutionally mandated body installed in
1994, includes four union representatives.

There were several instances of labor unrest during 1994, and
on two occasions the Government disbanded labor meetings.  In
July authorities denied permission for a labor demonstration
owing to concern that it would disrupt normal business, then
intervened when the demonstration was held anyway.  In January
the Government prevented a union from meeting despite the fact
that the union had conformed to normal procedures.

There was a legal 3-day general strike in March called by the
four labor unions to protest devaluation.  There were no
incidents or government intervention, even though the strike
was highly disruptive.  There were no known efforts to
retaliate against strikers.

     b.  The Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively

The Labor Code provides for collective bargaining, and workers
freely exercised these rights.  Wages in the private sector are
set in negotiations between unions and employers.  A tripartite
group, composed of unions, employers, and the Government,
discussed and agreed to revisions in the former labor code;
these are now under consideration by the National Assembly.
The Government sets wages in the public sector by law and
regulation.

The Labor Code prohibits employers from taking union membership
or activity into account regarding hiring, work distribution,
professional or vocational training, or dismissal.  The
Government levies substantial penalties against employers who
refuse to rehire workers dismissed for lawful union activities.

There are no export processing zones.

     c.  Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor

The Labor Code prohibits forced or compulsory labor, and it is
not practiced.

     d.  Minimum Age for Employment of Children

The Labor Code prohibits the employment or apprenticeship of
children under the age of 14 in any enterprise.  However, the
Ministry of Labor enforces the Code in only a limited manner.
Child labor continues, on rural family farms, in urban areas,
and as domestic servants.

     e.  Acceptable Conditions of Work

The Government administratively sets minimum wage scales for a
number of occupations.  The minimum wage is approximately $39
per month (20,300 CFA), not enough to cover the costs for food
and housing of even a single worker living in an urban area.
Many workers must supplement their wages by subsistence farming
or in informal sector trade.  Most workers in the wage sector,
however, earn more than the minimum wage.

The Labor Code establishes a workweek of from 40 to 56 hours,
depending on the type of work, and provides for at least one
24-hour rest period per week.  The authorities generally
enforce legal limits on workweeks.  The Labor Code establishes
health and safety standards, but the Ministry of Labor does not
enforce them effectively.  The Labor Code does not provide
workers with the right to remove themselves from dangerous work
situations without jeopardy to continued employment.  The
Ministry of Labor has the authority to require employers to
remedy dangerous working conditions, but does not do so
effectively.