Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye paid an official visit to Cotonou on Tuesday, where he and Beninese President Patrice Talon reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation and revitalizing regional bodies such as WAEMU and ECOWAS.
The leaders discussed the need to intensify economic ties between Senegal and Benin, reviewed the broader security challenges in the sub-region, and emphasized solidarity in the face of recent terrorist attacks.
They agreed that much work remains to boost economic collaboration and to address the instability facing West Africa.
The visit comes at a time of heightened tensions within WAEMU, particularly following Burkina Faso’s failed bid to assume the presidency of the Council of Ministers, which led to a boycott by Sahel Alliance countries.
The discussions also followed the recent ECOWAS summit, which created a ministerial troika to support the Commission President in future engagement with the Alliance of Sahel States on post-withdrawal cooperation.
Both Faye and Talon called for urgent reforms to ensure regional institutions are more responsive to current challenges.
