NEWS
Breaking national and international news. This section keeps you updated on major events shaping the world, in real time.
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Airspace violation: Nigeria issues an official apology to Burkina Faso
Nigeria officially apologized to Burkina Faso following the violation of Burkinabè airspace by a Nigerian aircraft. This diplomatic step was conducted at the highest level by the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Youssouf Maitama Tuggar, who was received in audience… -
Benin: Patrice Talon faces the press Thursday, December 18
The President of the Republic, Patrice Talon, will hold a meeting with the press this Thursday, December 18, 2025. The announcement comes in a particularly sensitive political and security context, notably marked by the foiled coup attempt of December 7… -
Benin: Daniel Edah calls on Talon and the political class after an ECOWAS decision
Reacting to a recent CEDEAO decision, Daniel Edah called for the prompt opening of a frank, inclusive and constructive national dialogue in Benin. In a public statement, the political figure urged the President of the Republic, Patrice Talon, to take… -
Benin: Cotonou launches the contractual phase of the Cultural and Creative Quarter
The contracting process for the construction of Cotonou’s Cultural and Creative Quarter (QCC) has been officially approved, paving the way for work to begin. This large-scale project covers more than 12 hectares and aims to provide the economic capital with… -
Godomey: thirteen people arrested for cannabis trafficking
A police operation carried out in Godomey, in the commune of Abomey-Calavi, resulted in the arrest of thirteen individuals suspected of cannabis trafficking. The arrests took place in a neighborhood known as a gathering point frequented by dealers and users… -
Arrest of MP Soumaïla Sounon Boké: Les Démocrates denounce an authoritarian drift
The party Les Démocrates strongly reacted to the arrest of deputy Soumaïla Sounon Boké, arrested today in Cotonou while the National Assembly was in the middle of a parliamentary session. The incident occurred at the very moment the party was… -
2025 Index of Economic Freedom: Benin stands out among Africa’s most reform-oriented economies
The 2025 edition of the Economic Freedom Index by “The Heritage Fondation”, reported by Agence Ecofin, paints an unflattering picture for the African continent. In the majority of countries, barriers to economic freedom remain strong, driven by persistent corruption, burdensome… -
Mutiny on December 7 in Benin: here’s why Deputy Sounon Boké was questioned.
MP Sounon Boké, a member of the party Les Démocrates, is no longer free to move. The elected representative for the second electoral constituency is now among those taken into custody as part of the investigation opened after the foiled… -
2026 Bachelor’s and Master’s Exams: the enrollment register is officially open
The registration period for the 2026 national Bachelor’s and Master’s exams is now open in Benin. The commission responsible for organizing the exams announced on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, the opening of the registration registry for candidates wishing to sit… -
Benin’s constitution: after the court’s favorable opinion, Basile Ahossi asks Talon not to sign the law
Invited by Crystal News, the MP for the 17th electoral constituency, Basile Ahossi, didn’t hide his hostility toward the main innovations introduced by the constitutional revision recently adopted by the National Assembly. The parliamentarian expressed his disagreement with provisions such… -
Togo: death of Zarifou Ayéva, foreign minister under Faure Gnassingbé
Togo is in mourning. Zarifou Ayéva, 83, former Minister of State in charge of Foreign Affairs and founding president of the Parti pour la Démocratie et le Renouveau (PDR), has died. Born in Sokodé, in the Tchaoudjo prefecture, Ayéva left… -
Algeria: moving to criminalize French colonialism with a national law
The Algerian Parliament is preparing to examine a historic bill aiming to criminalize French colonialism. This text, scheduled to be debated in plenary session on 20, 21 and 24 December 2025, seeks to legally qualify the crimes committed during the… -
Putsch or coup d’état: Robert Dossou puts the December 7 events into perspective
Former president of the Constitutional Court, Lawyer Robert Dossou, provided a conceptual clarification on the terms “putsch” and “coup d’État”, often used interchangeably in public debate. According to the jurist, the events that took place on December 7, 2025 are,… -
Education: a contribution of 50 FCFA per student for maintenance of the EducMaster platform
A memo from the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Early Childhood and Primary Education is raising questions in the education sector. In a letter sent to departmental directors, they are asked to take stock of subscriptions intended for the… -
Benin: release of Chabi Yayi, son of former president Boni Yayi
Detained in the early morning of Sunday, December 14, 2025 in Cotonou, Chabi Yayi, secretary for external relations of the opposition party Les Démocrates and son of former president Boni Yayi, was released on the evening of Monday, December 15,… -
Lionel Zinsou elected chairman of ShafDB’s Board of Directors
At its 149th meeting held on 11 December 2025 in Nairobi, the Board of Directors of Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB) elected former Beninese Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou as the institution’s president. Specializing in housing finance, urban development and related… -
Benin: new warden appointed to Abomey-Calavi Civil Prison
The Ministry of Justice has appointed a new warden at the Abomey-Calavi civil prison. This decision is part of movements within the prison administration aimed at strengthening the management of the country’s correctional facilities. The new warden assumed his duties… -
Benin: Chabi Yayi placed in police custody after questioning by the judicial police
After his questioning, Chabi Yayi was placed in police custody on the evening of Sunday, December 14, 2025, according to one of his lawyers. According to the latter, the procedure is said to be linked to the attempted coup foiled… -
Benin: former lawmaker Octave Cossi Houdégbé has died
Former MP Octave Cossi Houdégbé has passed away. His passing was announced by his relatives. He died at the age of 80, leaving behind a deeply saddened family. Founder of the Houdégbé North American University of Benin (HNAUB), present in… -
ECOWAS: a counterterrorism brigade operational by the end of 2026
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announces the establishment of a regional counterterrorism brigade that is expected to be fully operational before the end of 2026. This decision aims to strengthen the region’s collective capacity to address the… -
Steve Amoussou case: the CRIET overturns the first judgment but upholds the sentence
The Court for the Suppression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism (CRIET) issued its decision in the Steve Amoussou case on Monday, December 15, 2025. The special tribunal annulled the initial first-instance judgment, while upholding the defendant’s sentence of two years… -
Benin: mutineers arrested after attempted coup expected before the CRIET
The mutineers arrested following the attempted coup on December 7, 2025, are due to appear before the special prosecutor of the Court for the Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism (CRIET) this Monday, December 15, 2025, Banouto has learned from… -
Coup in Guinea-Bissau: ECOWAS clearly takes a stand and threatens
The Economic Community of West African States (CEDEAO) took a firm stance on the political crisis in Guinea-Bissau at the summit of its Authority of Heads of State and Government, held this Sunday in Abuja (Nigeria). Following the meeting, the… -
ECOWAS Summit: a turning point between political crises and economic recovery
The heads of state and government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met for an ordinary summit in Abuja on Sunday, 14 December. At the heart of the agenda were recent regional upheavals – a coup in… -
Candide Azannaï placed in police custody for “conspiracy against the authority of the State”
The president of the party Restaurer l’Espoir (RE), Candide Azannaï, was arrested on Friday, December 12, 2025, late in the morning in front of his party’s headquarters in Cotonou. His apprehension, carried out by security forces, immediately attracted intense attention… -
Benin: Court validates the new constitution in all its provisions
The Constitutional Court declared Law No. 2025-20, revising the Fundamental Law of 11 December 1990, to be in conformity with the Constitution. The decision, made public on Friday 12 December 2025, puts an end to the many challenges sparked by… -
Sabi Korogoné reacts after an arrest warrant was issued against him
A few hours after an international arrest warrant was issued against him, Sabi Sira Korogoné broke his silence. In a video widely shared on social media, the promoter of the Nikki initiative delivered a defiant speech in which he says… -
Bohicon: two people arrested in the act of selling a stolen tricycle
In Bohicon, in the Zou department, a police operation led to the arrest of two individuals involved in the sale of a stolen tricycle, our colleagues at Le Matinal report. The events took place recently in a neighborhood of the… -
Savè – Surge in gender-based violence: more than 600 early pregnancies in one year
The figures published in Savè by the departmental Directorate of Social Affairs on gender-based violence reveal a worrying situation. Between January 2024 and December 2025, 614 early pregnancies and 38 rapes of minors were recorded in the municipality. Among the… -
Senegal: Dakar suspends extraditions to France
The Senegalese government announced the suspension of all extraditions to France, a measure unveiled on Thursday, 11 December 2025 by Minister of Justice Yacine Fall at the National Assembly during the review of her ministry’s 2026 budget. According to the…
