On July 30, 2026, the Ministry of Justice and Legislation orchestrated a solemn ceremony at the Cotonou Judicial Complex to officially award Beninese citizenship to 28 Afro-descendants reclaiming their ancestral roots. This historic event underscores Benin’s commitment to confronting its past while bridging connections with the global Afro-descendant community.

Led by the Keeper of the Seals and Minister of Justice, Yvon Detchenou, the ceremony was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Corinne Amori Brunet, the Technical Advisor to the Minister of Justice, Rose-Marie Sossa, and numerous political and administrative leaders. It represents a landmark stride in Benin’s memory-driven policies and its efforts to foster stronger bonds with the diaspora.

During the event, Technical Advisor Rose-Marie Sossa highlighted the significance of the date, July 30, chosen intentionally as it coincides with the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. She described the citizenship award as a gesture of memory, resilience, and hope for the recipients and their descendants.

Emphasizing the responsibilities that come with Beninese citizenship, she noted that it grants recipients the right to participate fully in civic life and pass their new nationality to their children. “This citizenship binds you to Benin’s history, values, laws, and institutions,” Sossa affirmed.

The newly naturalized citizens, hailing from the United States, Haiti, and other nations, expressed deep emotion over the warm reception from their ancestral homeland. God Win Louis, an Afro-Haitian descendant, shared his joy: “My ancestors came from Sakété and Allada. I’ve been visiting Benin for a decade, but today, I feel even more Beninese than ever.” Fresner Delva, an Afro-American recipient, described the gesture as both a correction of historical wrongs and the restoration of a fractured identity.