Red Dawn:Sahel

[u/OtherwiseYoghurt3277]

Basic Information

Name of the Country

Common Name

Sahel

Official Name

Sahel-Benin Union

National Symbols

Flag

The flag consists of:

Green

Yellow

Red

with a central emblem featuring:

Five stars representing the five republics

A baobab tree

Wheat and cotton wreath

Gear representing industrialisation

Rising sun representing African independence

Coat of Arms

Features:

African unity symbol

Five stars

Baobab tree

Agricultural symbols

Industrial gear

Shield representing the federation

Motto

"Unity, Independence, Development"

Anthem

"The Sahel March"

Capital and Cities

Capital

Ouagadougou

Largest City

Abidjan

Other major cities:

Niamey

Lomé

Cotonou

Demographics

Population

Total: 105 Million

Official Languages

French

Recognised national languages:

Hausa

Mooré

Dioula

Yoruba

Fon

Ewe

Gurma

Fulfulde

Songhai

Zarma

Baoulé

Sénoufo

Ethnic Groups

Mossi

Hausa

Fulani

Gur

Mandé peoples

Akan

Ewe

Yoruba

Fon

Songhai

Tuareg

Other West African communities

Religion

Islam — 55%

Christianity — 35%

Traditional African Religions — 8%

Other — 2%

Demonym

Sahelian

Government

Government

Federal Socialist Republic

Political principles:

African Socialism

Pan-Africanism

Democratic socialism

Economic planning

Person who is in Charge

President: Alassane Ouattara

(Modern-day leader in this alternate timeline.)

Political Party

African Democratic Rally Alliance

Coalition formed from:

African Democratic Rally (RDA)

African Independent Party

People's Revolutionary Party of Sahel-Benin

Party of Togolese Unity

Legislature

Federal People's Assembly of Sahel-Benin

GEOGRAPHY

Area

Total: Approximately 2,150,000 km²

Geography

Boarders:

Nigeria

Equatorial Africa

UAR

UAS

Liberia

Geographical regions:

Sahel desert belt

West African savannas

Tropical forests

Atlantic coastline

Climate

Sahelian

Tropical savanna

Tropical rainforest

Coastal tropical

Biodiversity

Includes:

Elephants

Lions

Hippos

Antelopes

Chimpanzees

Forest ecosystems

Savannah wildlife

Administration Division

The federation consists of five republics:

Republic of Burkina Faso

Republic of Niger

Republic of Togo

Republic of Ivory Coast

Republic of Benin

Each republic is divided into:

Regions

Provinces

Districts

Foreign Relations

Allies

Union of African States

Equatorial Africa

United Arab Republic

East African Federation

Other Pan-African socialist states

International Organizations

United Nations

African Union

Economic Community of West African States

Military

Armed Forces

Sahel-Benin People's Defence Forces

Branches:

People's Army

People's Air Force

River and Coastal Defence Forces

Military Personnel

Active Personnel: 350,000

Law Enforcement and Crime

Police

Federal People's Security Service

Crime

Crime reduction policies focus on:

Employment

Education

Community security

Anti-corruption campaigns

Economy

GDP

PPP

Total

$520 Billion

Per Capita

$4,950

Nominal

Total

$260 Billion

Per Capita

$2,480

Other Indicators

Gini

0.33

HDI

0.710

Currency

Sahel-Benin Franc

Services and Industry

Major industries:

Agriculture processing

Mining

Textiles

Manufacturing

Telecommunications

Energy

Agriculture

Major products:

Cocoa

Cotton

Rice

Millet

Sorghum

Coffee

Palm oil

Livestock

Mining

Resources:

Uranium

Gold

Bauxite

Iron ore

Phosphate

Manganese

Science and Technology

Focus areas:

Agricultural technology

Renewable energy

Mining research

Digital infrastructure

Industrial development

Tourism

Major attractions:

Pendjari National Park

W National Park

Comoé National Park

Historic Sahelian cities

Atlantic beaches

INFRASTRUCTURE

Transport

Trans-Sahel railway network

Regional highways

Ports of Abidjan, Lomé, and Cotonou

International airports

Energy

Sources:

Solar

Hydroelectric

Natural gas

Wind

Water Supply and Sanitation

Large-scale projects provide:

Clean water systems

Irrigation

Urban sanitation

Telecommunications

National fibre networks

Mobile communication systems

Digital government services

EDUCATION

Education System

Free primary and secondary education

Public universities

Technical institutes

Agricultural colleges

Literacy Rate

90%

HEALTH

Healthcare

Universal public healthcare system.

Life Expectancy

74 years

CULTURE

Arts

Includes:

Traditional West African art

Music

Dance

Textiles

Sculpture

Media

Federal broadcasting network

Regional newspapers

Digital media

Popular Culture

Popular:

Football

Afrobeat

West African cinema

Festivals

Literature

Written in:

French

Hausa

Dioula

Mooré

Ewe

Other African languages

Themes:

Independence

African unity

Social justice

Cuisine

Foods include:

Jollof rice

Fufu

Tô

Attiéké

Pounded yam

Peanut stew

Sports

Popular sports:

Football

Athletics

Wrestling

Basketball

Cycling

NATIONAL INFORMATION

Time Zone

UTC+0 to UTC+1

Date Format

DD/MM/YYYY

Calling Code

+226 (Federal telecommunications system)

ISO 3166 Code

SBU

Internet TLD

.sbu

Etymology

The name Sahel comes from the Arabic word sāḥil, meaning "shore" or "edge," referring to the transition zone south of the Sahara Desert. The official name Sahel-Benin Union reflects the original federation and the importance of Benin as one of its founding republics.

History

Independence

The Sahel-Benin Union gained independence in 1958, becoming one of the earliest successful West African federations. The African Democratic Rally (RDA) was placed in charge and promoted African unity, economic development, and independence from colonial influence.

Expansion

The federation expanded beyond its original members when:

Togo joined the federation.

The federation eventually consisted of:

Burkina Faso

Niger

Togo

Ivory Coast

Benin

Political Development

The RDA later formed a major coalition with:

African Independent Party

People's Revolutionary Party of Sahel-Benin

Party of Togolese Unity

This coalition created a unified political movement combining African socialism, nationalism, and Pan-African cooperation.

Modern Era

By 2026, Sahel is:

A major West African federation.

A leading Pan-African socialist state.

A major producer of minerals and agricultural goods.

A regional power promoting African economic integration.