French President Emmanuel Macron is on a business visit to Benin on Tuesday and Wednesday following an invitation from his Beninese counterpart, Patrice Talon.
Benin: Macron in Cotonou for a business visit
French president Emmanuel Macron walks with Benin Minister of Foreign Affairs Aurelien Agbenonci upon arriving at the Cotonou airport on July 27, 2022
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After a a tête-à-tête with Mr. Talon at the Marina Palace in Cotonou, Mr. Macron is expected to visit the exhibition of royal treasures returned to Benin by the French government last November.
In Benin, Macron is expected discuss ways to combat an increase in terrorist threats and to prevent it from spilling into countries in the Gulf of Guinea.
French Opposition and majority MPs has urged the Head of State to put pressure on President Patrice Talon on the issue of human rights during his trip to Cotonou on 27 July.
The parliamentarians denounce the repression orchestrated on political opponents, particularly the former Minister of Justice, Reckya Madougou, and the constitutionalist Joël Aïvo, sentenced respectively to twenty and ten years in prison.
Macron's final stop is on Thursday in Guinea-Bissau where he will explore plans to build a French school on local government designated land.