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Benin Calls for Regional Unity at Independence Parade
Ahead of its 65th Independence Day, Benin’s President Patrice Talon extended a surprise invitation to military representatives from Burkina Faso and Niger — members of the Sahel States Alliance (SSA) — to join the August 1st parade in Cotonou.
Despite tense relations with the SSA, the gesture is framed as a call for regional reconciliation and “brotherly cooperation.” Government spokesperson Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji said the parade should symbolize unity beyond borders and serve as a legacy of peace.
Analysts see the move as a tactical opening — less about ceremony, more about testing the waters for future dialogue, including on regional security. Niger’s response after the event may reveal whether rapprochement is truly possible.
