South-South Cooperation: CENA hosts a Senegalese delegation for an exchange of experiences
The Autonomous National Electoral Commission (CENA) of Benin received, on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, a delegation from Senegal’s Directorate General of Elections (DGE) as part of a working visit focused on sharing experiences and strengthening institutional cooperation.
The Senegalese mission, led by Biram Séné, Director General of Elections of Senegal, was welcomed at CENA’s headquarters by its president, Sacca Lafia.
After a ceremonial welcome, the two parties engaged in in-depth discussions in the presence of members of the Beninese Electoral Council and the teams from the Directorate General of Elections.
During his welcoming remarks, the president of CENA recalled the context of this visit, noting in particular that a Beninese delegation had traveled to Dakar about a year ago to draw inspiration from Senegal’s practices in electoral organization. He explained that this dynamic of reciprocal cooperation aims to draw mutual lessons to improve electoral processes in both countries.
The exchanges focused on the organization, powers, and functioning of electoral institutions, with particular emphasis on the structuring of voting operations, the financing of political parties, and the management of elections. Sacca Lafia indicated that Senegalese representatives wished to better understand certain specifics of the Beninese model, notably the separation of responsibilities between the Directorate General of Elections and the Electoral Council, an arrangement that differs from the Senegalese system where a single entity handles these functions.
The Senegalese delegation will continue its work in Benin for three days, including a visit to Ouidah, in an approach that is both institutional and cultural. The two institutions intend to capitalize on these exchanges to strengthen their respective electoral systems, within the broader framework of South-South cooperation among African electoral bodies.
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