Benin: Razacki Amouda Issifou, new Mediator of the Republic

Razacki Amouda Issifou is the new Mediator of the Republic of Benin. His rise to this position follows the adoption, on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, of an amendment to the law governing this institution.

From now on, the functions of the Mediator of the Republic will automatically be performed by the first vice-president of the Economic and Social Council (CES). A reform that ends the previously existing appointment system.

As the current first vice-president of the CES, Razacki Amouda Issifou thus becomes the holder of this position. He succeeds Pascal Essou, who has held the position since 2021. This institutional change was approved by the deputies during a plenary session in the National Assembly. It is part of the reforms initiated around the functioning of the institutions of the Republic.

A former vice-president of the Constitutional Court, Razacki Amouda Issifou has a long experience in public life. A trained lawyer, he has also been a deputy, president of the National Assembly’s Law Commission, mayor, and secretary general of the first autonomous national electoral commission (CENA) in 1996.

The Mediator of the Republic is tasked with facilitating the resolution of disputes between citizens and public administration. He intervenes notably in seeking amicable solutions when users feel wronged in their dealings with state services.