Benin wants to “rapidly” normalize ties with coup-hit neighbours

Benin wishes to re-establish ties with its core business partners in western Africa which have undergone unconstitutional regime changes.

President Patrice Talon revealed this in Porto-Novo during his state of the nation address in Parliament on Thursday (Dec. 21).

"We want a world free of war and terrorism. We believe in the peaceful coexistence of nations and peoples. It is this same logic that prompts me to express today our desire to see a rapid restoration of relations between Benin and countries where coups d'état have been used to undermine democratic processes."

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso were listed among Benin’s 30 core business partners in the 2022 foreign trade report by the national institute of statistics and demographics.

Talon said his country's never cut ties with its neighbors.

"Benin's diplomacy has not failed to discreetly and repeatedly send messages to these brother countries, in particular Niger. We are convinced that there is a time to condemn, a time to demand, and a time to review what's happened and even duly note of it."

Patrice Talon however insisted that military leaders had to cooperate and disclose their intentions and their expectations regarding the international community.

Since 2020, four west African region were hit by coups.