U.S. Embassy Cotonou is proud to announce that Eleven participants from Benin have been selected to participate in the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders . Launched in 2014, the Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and embodies the U.S. commitment to invest in the future of Africa.  YALI was created in 2010 and supports young Africans …

WASHINGTON (June 22, 2023) – The U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the Government of Benin celebrated the completion of the $422.6 million  Benin Power Compact , a five-year investment to advance energy accessibility and to strengthen Benin’s power sector. The investment is a $391 million grant from the American people and $31.6 million from the Beninese …

U.S. Ambassador Brian Shukan met with Minister of Culture Jean-Michel Abimbola on May 3 to discuss a project to protect and conserve the cultural area of Koutammakou that sits along Benin’s northern border with Togo. The U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) awarded a 120 million CFA grant to U.S. based organization World Monuments …

Special Operations Command Africa Forces partnered with the Beninese Army during a Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) that concluded April 7, 2023, in Ouassa, Benin, the fourth between the U.S. and Benin. These exercises reflect the U.S. and Benin’s long-standing security partnership, and how the two countries work closely to combat the extremist threat. During the JCET, …

A U.S. Embassy delegation led by members of the U.S. Federal Women’s Program visited Collège d’Enseignement Général Houeyiho in Cotonou on March 23, 2023 to promote gender equity, share career advice with over 300 students, and donate books to the school’s library.  The U.S. Federal Women’s Program is an initiative of the U.S. Government for …

U.S. Embassy Cotonou hosted Minister of Digitalization Aurélie Adam Soulé Zoumarou to discuss this year’s International Women’s Day theme of “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality.” In front of an audience of tech students from Seme City and younger Beninese leaders, Minister Adam Soulé Zoumarou shared her insights on the role of technology in …

(Cotonou | March 21, 2023) – As part of Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn’s visit to Benin to celebrate the 55th anniversary of Peace Corps’ partnership in the country, she met with the President of the Republic of Benin Patrice Talon, Benin’s Minister of Justice and Legislation Sévérin Quenum, and United States’ Ambassador to the …

Cotonou, March 15, 2023 – In honor of International Women’s Day, U.S. Embassy Cotonou (via the Federal Women’s Program) hosted a conference of distinguished women leaders to promote the advancement of women in Benin and worldwide. The conference drew over 200 participants from government agencies, the diplomatic corps, private sector, civil society and a local …

Cotonou – March 14, 2023- The American Business Club resumed operations in Cotonou after a period of suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The club provides a platform for American companies to connect with each other and with the business community in Benin. In his remarks, U.S. Ambassador to Benin Brian Shukan addressed three key …

Cotonou, March 10, 2023 – On a two-day visit to Benin, Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins met with senior Beninese officials to discuss expanding and strengthening U.S.-Beninese security cooperation.  During the visit, the Undersecretary met with the Ministers of Planning & Governmental Coordination, Justice, Interior and Defense to discuss how the …

From February 22-23, 2023, U.S. Ambassador to Benin Brian Shukan visited the city of Kandi in the department of Alibori to meet with the community and local authorities and see firsthand U.S. funded projects that improve security, education, and economic opportunity.    Meeting with members of Kandi’s City Council, Ambassador Shukan discussed ongoing U.S.-funded projects …

From February 13-17, 2023, North Dakota National Guard instructors conducted joint military exercises with their Beninese Armed Forces (FAB) counterparts on tactics to counter improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the 1st Battalion Parachute Commandos Camp in Ouassa, central Benin. Staff Sergeant Dale Burdette and Staff Sergeant Alex Radi (both from the 817th Engineer Company based …

Members of the Diplomatic Corps, civil society organizations, and U.S. exchange program alumni, participated in a night walk on December 15, 2022 in Cotonou in support of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). The walk, organized by U.S. Embassy Cotonou, is part of a global effort to help women and girls reclaim …

The purpose of the visit was to assess the progress of the State Partnership Program (SPP), through which the North Dakota National Guard and Beninese security forces train on military-police operations and disaster management.  The North Dakota National Guard also works closely with the Beninese National Civil Defense Agency and the National Fire Department to help prevent humanitarian crises and promote democratic governance and …

WASHINGTON (Dec. 14, 2022) — A day after announcing four new African country partnerships, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) took center stage at today’s U.S.-Africa Business Forum as the United States, Benin, and Niger governments signed the first-ever MCC regional program — the  $504 million Benin-Niger Regional Transport Compact .   Benin’s President Patrice Talon, Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum, and MCC’s Chief …

A successful partnership between the Government of Benin, PMI, and the Global Fund protects children during the rainy season when they are most at risk. “Malaria is a burden in every aspect of our lives,” says Mariam Bagnan Zime, who lives in Alibori, Benin, with her four children. “When our child is sick, we can’t …

WASHINGTON (September 28, 2022) – The Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) Board of Directors held its quarterly meeting yesterday and unanimously voted to approve the $504 million Benin-Niger Regional Transport Compact — MCC’s first-ever regional grant program. “Yesterday’s board approval of the Benin-Niger regional compact is a historic moment for MCC; it redefines how the agency …

Justice Jennifer Brunner currently serves as a justice on the Supreme Court of Ohio and is the former Ohio Secretary of State. Since 2012, Justice Brunner has been engaged on numerous United States Agency for International Development (USAID) -funded projects, providing short term technical assistance as well as participating in election observation missions, in Serbia, …

COTONOU, July 6, 2022 – U.S. Embassy Cotonou marked the 246th anniversary of the Independence of the United States at a ceremony attended by members of the Government of Benin, the Diplomatic Corps, and embassy partners.  Organized after a two-year suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Independence Day celebration focused on the 60 years …

COTONOU, Benin (May 13, 2022) – The U.S. government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and representatives from the Governments of Benin and Niger met May 12-13 to advance a proposed regional development grant designed to reduce the cost of transportation along the road corridor between the port of Cotonou and the capital city of Niamey.  MCC’s …

The new U.S. Ambassador to Benin, Brian Shukan, presented his credential letter to the President of the Republic of Benin Patrice Talon on May 5 at the Presidency in Cotonou. In his meeting with President Talon, Ambassador Shukan outlined his priorities for continuing to work closely with Benin to help all Beninese reach their full …

U.S. Ambassador to Benin Brian Shukan wished a blessed Ramadan to the Muslim community by joining U.S. Embassy staff in donating food items to mosques in Cotonou and Porto-Novo.  On April 25, the U.S. Embassy delegation visited Imam Youssouf Ali from the La Ilaha Illa Alla Mosque in Agla and Imam Issiack Alao Ligali from …

On April 6, 2022, U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Karen Gustafson de Andrade, presented prizes to the five winners of the 6th Annual Martin Luther King Jr’s (MLK) English poetry competition at U.S. Embassy Cotonou. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Public Diplomacy held the Slam Contest online. The purpose of this contest is to encourage students to …

U.S. Embassy Chargée d’Affaires, a.i. Stephanie Arnold officially launched the Grand Fair of the 2021 Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) at conference room Le Marin in Cotonou on March 10, 2022. Organized by alumni of the African Women Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP-Benin), this year’s fair was one of the highlights of the AWE Grow-Up Week, launched …

The Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) of U.S. Embassy Cotonou, Karen Gustafson de Andrade, toured the departments of Borgou and Alibori from February 14 to 17, 2022. This tour was an opportunity for Ms. Gustafson de Andrade to meet the Embassy’s partner organizations in the north and to inquire about the security situation. The tour …

Embassy Cotonou was pleased to host American chef and entrepreneur Vallery Lomas from January 31 to February 4, 2022. During her visit, Ms. Lomas explored Beninese and American culinary links, and especially African influences on dishes from Ms. Lomas’s home state of Louisiana. She also shared lessons learned from her career journey and other entrepreneurial …

COTONOU, Benin, 24 January 2022 – The United States Government is assisting the Benin Human Rights Commission (BHRC) to train human rights officers, who will serve in new BHRC resource centers to support citizens to engage with the Commission outside of Cotonou, over the course of a three-day workshop in Lokossa.  Through the U.S. Agency …

The U.S. Embassy in Cotonou, Benin announces the donation of 332,280 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine by the United States Government as part of the United States’ global efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.  The U.S. government coordinated closely with the African Union, Africa CDC, and COVAX on the country allocations.  COVAX supported delivery …

U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command, continued a multi-day visit to West Africa, with stops in Togo and Benin, September 22-23. Townsend expressed the command’s readiness to help both partner nations increase their ability to secure their northern border areas from the terrorist threat and improve security cooperation across the region. In …

Arlington, VA – Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency announced grant funding for technical assistance to help Beninese company Sherlock Grids SAS expand and improve clean energy access to rural communities across the country. “This project embodies USTDA’s commitment to deploy innovative solutions that connect more of Africa’s citizens to clean, reliable power,” said …

The U.S. Embassy in Cotonou, Benin announces the donation by the United States Government of 302,400 doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine as part of the United State’s global efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The donated vaccines are part of the U.S. government’s initial pledge to provide at least 25 million …

Freedom of expression, the cherished and indispensable right enshrined in the founding documents of both our nations, has long been a cornerstone of a strong U.S.-Benin partnership based on shared democratic values such as tolerance, mutual respect, and the peaceful resolution of differences. From Cotonou to Washington, the hard-won freedom to think, to imagine, to …

REMARKS ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE DR. KARI JOHNSTONE, ACTING DIRECTOR OFFICE TO MONITOR AND COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS BEN FRANKLIN ROOM WASHINGTON, D.C. JULY 1, 2021 MS JOHNSTONE: Good afternoon, and welcome. My name is Kari Johnstone. I am the acting director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. Thank …

May 28, 2021 – U.S. Ambassador Patricia Mahoney visited Nikki, Parakou, and Tchaourou from May 24-27, 2021 to meet with local leaders and partner organizations and to assess U.S. government efforts to support cultural, educational, and health development in the Department of Borgou. In a meeting with His Royal Highness Sabi Nayina III in Nikki, …

COTONOU, Benin, May 20, 2021 – The United States Government is providing protective equipment and health supplies to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including among orphans, older people, and people with disabilities, in the departments of Alibori, Atacora, Ouémé, and Plateau. The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), presented a selection …

PRESS STATEMENT ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE MAY 16, 2021 This year’s May 17 marks 16 years since the first International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOTB). In the intervening period, the United States has endeavored to reaffirm the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, …

Wednesday, APRIL 14, 2021 —————– The U.S. Embassy recognizes all those who exercised their democratic rights peacefully by casting ballots in Benin’s presidential elections on April 11. We call on all parties to address any grievances through processes laid out in Benin’s Constitution and laws. Violence has no place in democratic societies. We are disappointed …

The Embassies of Germany, the United States, France, the Netherlands and the European Union delegation regret acts of violence observed on the margins of the electoral process. We express our solidarity with the victims. We call for an end to violence and for a return to calm, and express our desire that the election take …

March 15, 2021 – The United States Government assisted the Benin Human Rights Commission (BHRC) with training on organizational accreditation, advocacy, and investigating and reporting on acts of torture, to strengthen the BHRC’s functions as a human rights institution. Through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United States supported three two-day workshops for …

On March 4, U.S. Ambassador Patricia Mahoney presented prizes to the five winners of the 5th Annual MLK Slam English poetry competition organized by the U.S. Embassy. The winners were selected from fifty-six young Beninese who submitted slam poetry performances for the virtual competition, held online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Faith Agbossou’s …

On Thursday, February 25, U.S. Ambassador Patricia Mahoney visited construction sites for three ​new high-voltage electrical substations and the underground distribution lines that will connect them.   New infrastructure funded by the United States of America is expected to benefit ten million Beninese over the next twenty years by facilitating a five-fold increase in the capacity of …

Thursday, February 11, 2021 U.S. Embassy Statement on Benin’s Presidential Elections For more than thirty years the people of Benin have taken well-deserved pride in democratically held elections that ensure voters have a choice among candidates. The United States shares with the people of Benin their desire to sustain this most cherished function of a …

TOFFO, November 02, 2020 – The Chargé d’affaires ad interim of the U.S. Embassy to Benin, Karen Gustafson de Andrade, inaugurated classrooms at the Colli Middle School.  The ceremony was held in the presence of the Chargée de Mission of the Prefect of the Atlantic department, Mrs. Paulette Eki, the Mayor of Toffo, Bibiane Adamazé Soglo, the Director of the Colli Middle School, Jean-Baptiste Gnanho, the Departmental Director of Secondary, and …

COTONOU, October 1, 2020 – The United States Ambassador to Benin, Patricia Mahoney, and the Minister of the Interior and Public Security, Sacca Lafia, signed a letter of agreement allowing for the establishment of a Special Program for Embassy Augmentation and Response (SPEAR) team in Benin. The signing ceremony was held at the Ministry of …

COTONOU-June 27 – U.S. Embassy Cotonou marked the 243rd anniversary of the United States’ independence. The celebration’s theme was space exploration to mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969. U.S. Ambassador to Benin, Patricia Mahoney, said both events represent the history of human race, of all the peoples …

Ambassador’s Introductory Statement Departure Press Roundtable September 13, 2018, 10am, Embassy MPR (TBC)   Thank you very much for joining me here today.  I will be leaving Benin shortly and appreciate this opportunity to share with you some of the accomplishments of the U.S. Mission in Benin over the last three years. These accomplishments have …

On September 25, 2013, the U.S. Embassy Chargé in Benin Laura Hruby officially handed over two mobile booths to the recently installed Republican Police.  The donation aims to assist the police in serving citizens better by meeting their needs and ensuring security. The endowment comes along with a number of efforts by the U.S. Embassy …

COTONOU – July 18, 2017: The Beninese YALI Alumni Association (BYAA) organized a clean up campaign at the Cotonou Civil Prison, Hubert Koutoukou Maga National University Hospital Center (CNHU-HKM) and at the University of Abomey-Calavi. The purpose of the initiative was to commemorate Mandela Day; celebrated every July 18 in tribute to former South African …

COTONOU- The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and USAID handed over essential equipment for neonatal health to the Minister of Health, Dr Alassane Seidou in a ceremony at the Central Supply of Essential Medicines and Medical Consumables (CAME) in Cotonou on July 17. “It is estimated that 37,000 children under five die each year in …

COTONOU- July 11, 2017: The handbook of procedure of the narcotics cases in Benin is a compendium of good practices in the repression of the offenses related to the narcotics in Benin. This document, which benefited from the technical and financial support of the Embassy of the United States of America, was drafted by Beninese …

$403 Million USD Millennium Challenge Corporation Benin Agreement Enters into Force, Launching Projects focused on Power Sector  ********** COTONOU, BENIN: On June 22, 2017 the Minister in Charge of Planning and Development, Abdouaye Bio Tchané, the official representative of President Patrice Talon, and Ambassador of the United States of America to Benin Lucy Tamlyn presided …