Benin Roundup: Court appeals, trade agreements, airport security
Court appeals
Several citizens have registered appeals at the secretariat of the Constitutional Court of Benin against the illegal detention of the country’s former Minister of Justice Reckya Madougou, reports Beninweb TV. These individuals say the imprisonment is arbitrary and violates several articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The failed candidate was arrested in March 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison for ‘financing terrorism’.
Job creation
More than 1.19 million jobs have been created in Benin since 2016, news outlet La Nation reports. Citing details from a report by the National Institute of Statistics and Demography, the report noted that the private sector which is the main driver of job creation provided about 77 percent of jobs compared to 23 percent for the public sector. The prevalence of informal jobs which constitute 82 percent of jobs created however raises questions about job stability, social benefits and worker protections.
Trade agreement
Locally-produced Beninese pineapple has been accepted on the Chinese market, Cotonou, a Benin-based news platform reported. The first containers of the ‘sugar loaf’ variety of fruit were received in China on Sunday, November 5, 2023, in the presence of Chinese authorities and the Ambassador of Benin to China, Christian Adovelandé. The development forms part of trade agreements between both countries and Benin is expected to maintain the quality of the product on the market.
Airport security
The Benin Airports Company (SAB) has collaborated with European security company, Société Amarante International to improve security management at Cotonou International Airport in Benin’s largest city. The signing ceremony was chaired by Benin’s Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Hervé HEHOMEY. The arrangement, according to the government, will ensure that users of the Cotonou International Airport are guaranteed the utmost safety during travel.
Civil aviation
The 26th meeting of the Africa-Indian Ocean Regional Group for Planning and Implementation (APIRG) has been launched in Cotonou, Benin, the government of Benin has said. The meeting brought together around 300 international civil aviation actors to the Cotonou Congress Centre from all countries of Africa and the Indian Ocean. Civil aviation safety issues within the region were discussed.
