Celebration of Benin’s 65th Independence Anniversary: the opposition sets its conditions for participating in the festivities
As Benin is preparing to celebrate the 65th anniversary of its accession to international sovereignty on the 1st of August, the potential participation of the opposition in the festivities raises questions once again.
On Tuesday, July 22, 2025, the leaders of the Opposition Political Forces Coordination Group expressed their position, in a context still marked by political mistrust.
According to Antoine Guédou, spokesperson for the Group, opposition MPs have received official invitations. However, to this day, the political parties members of the platform haven’t received any formal correspondence from the authorities. “The member parties of the coordination group have not yet been invited. If we receive an invitation, we will decide,” he said, leaving the door open, but making any decision conditional on concrete signals.
More specifically, Eugène Azatassou, coordinator of the Group, reminded that the opposition’s participation in this national celebration cannot be symbolic, without prior commitments from the government for national reconciliation.
“Independence Day should be a time of unity. But for this to make sense, strong actions are necessary,” he affirmed.
Among the prerequisites mentioned: the release of political prisoners, the return of exiles, inclusive political dialogue, or even the organization of a national gathering. These are conditions that the opposition deems essential to rebuild the “living together” that it considers weakened in recent years.
Eugène Azatassou also criticized the political climate judged not conducive to national harmony. He notably criticized the latest electoral reforms which he believes to be unconsensual and exclusive, as well as the use of justice for political purposes. “These are opinion offenses that are criminalized, and this breaks national unity,” he supported.
Despite this harsh observation, the opposition does not completely close the door. It even calls on President Patrice Talon to initiate a conciliatory gesture. “There is still time to take actions that allow bringing together the Beninese people,” insisted the coordinator of the Group, urging the country’s leader to seize this opportunity to “enter positively into history”.
The ball seems to be in the government’s court. A few days before August 1st, the political climate remains suspended to any potential decisions from the executive that could either broaden the symbolic scope of this national celebration, or further accentuate the persistent fractures in Benin’s political life.
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