TALON’S GRIP ON POWER

COTONOU: Benin’s constitutional court approved President Patrice Talon’s re-election after a vote that was boycotted by opposition leaders who were forced into exile or disqualified from running.

Mr Talon, a cotton magnate first elected in 2016, took a tough stance after Sunday’s ballot saying he would track down those responsible for the violence in the run-up to the election.

The West African nation’s constitutional court said it had cleared the election result giving Mr Talon a victory. After the ruling, opposition figure Joel Aivo was taken into custody by judicial police, close associates said.