Beninese nationality: three Afro-descendants receive their first official attestations

The Beninese government took a historic step this Saturday by handing out the first Beninese nationality certificates to three Afro-descendants. These are Joseph Gabendy, Smeralda David Romuald, and Harris CiaraPrincess, beneficiaries of the law recognizing citizenship for descendants of deported Africans.

This initiative is part of the implementation of Law No. 2024-31 of September 2, 2024, followed by its implementation decree adopted in November of the same year. It aims to offer legal and symbolic recognition to the millions of descendants of the slave trade, by allowing them to establish a legal connection with their African roots.

In this dynamic, the Beninese government launched, on July 4, 2025, the multilingual digital platform “My Afro Origins”, designed to centralize applications for nationality recognition. Accessible from abroad, this portal represents a gateway to official and structured recognition.

Present at the ceremony, the Minister of Justice, Yvon Détchenou, hailed an act of memorial reparation. He recalled that this approach reflects Benin’s commitment to assume its share of history while reaching out to its diaspora scattered around the world.

The certificate handed out today constitutes a first formal recognition. It paves the way for obtaining full and entire Beninese nationality, conditioned in particular by an effective stay on the territory within three years after eligibility.

Beyond a simple administrative act, this measure is part of a desire for historical reconciliation. Benin thus asserts its place in the concert of African nations working to strengthen cultural, economic, and emotional ties with their respective diasporas. One more step towards a peaceful memory and a shared future.