Diplomacy: in Abidjan, Romuald received by Alassane Ouattara

Beninese President Romuald Wadagni is on an official working visit to Abidjan on Thursday, June 4, 2026, which is the last stop of a sub-regional tour that began on June 1 and took him successively to Abuja, Niamey, Ouagadougou, and Lomé. He is welcomed at the presidential palace in Abidjan by President Alassane Ouattara. The discussions focus on revitalizing bilateral agreements, intensifying trade flows, and coordinating security policies in response to regional threats, according to a statement from the Beninese presidency.

The visit to Abidjan concludes an unprecedented inaugural diplomatic sequence in recent Beninese history due to its pace: five capitals in four days, three joint statements signed – Niger, Burkina Faso, and one expected for Abidjan – and three invitations to visit Cotonou accepted by foreign heads of state. By choosing Côte d’Ivoire as the last stop on this tour, Wadagni elevates the relationship with Abidjan to a status of consolidation rather than urgent normalization – as there is nothing to normalize. The two countries have maintained stable and regular relations since Talon came to power in 2016.

A Dense Economic Relationship

Côte d’Ivoire is Benin’s primary economic partner in the UMOA region. The two countries share the same monetary and financial instruments, the same currency, and the same regional markets of BCEAO. Ouattara and Wadagni have known each other since the latter served as finance minister under Talon – from 2016 to 2026, Wadagni was a regular interlocutor with the Ivorian government in UMOA, BCEAO, and ECOWAS circles. This personal familiarity facilitates a working agenda that goes beyond a courtesy visit.

The Beninese community in Côte d’Ivoire is estimated to be between 300,000 and 500,000 people – one of the largest groups in the Beninese diaspora, historically involved in commerce, crafts, liberal professions, and education. About 13,000 Beninese nationals were registered on the electoral rolls in Abidjan for the presidential elections in April 2026. This human dimension serves as a natural focal point for discussion between the two presidents.

Security: A Shared Concern Despite Different Approaches

In terms of security, the Benin-Côte d’Ivoire relationship is not without its complexities. Both countries face the jihadist threat advancing from the Sahel to the coasts, but with different strategies. Abidjan relies on a defense agreement with France, maintains French forces on its territory as part of Operation Licorne and its successors, and has chosen to strengthen its own internal security forces. Cotonou also has French special forces, a sensitive issue in its relations with AES countries. Ouattara convened an emergency meeting of his National Security Council on May 23 following an attack in Iffou – on the border with Ghana and a few hundred kilometers from the Burkinabe border.

Wadagni’s tour of AES capitals – Niger, Burkina Faso – followed by Abidjan within the same week places Benin in a regional bridge posture that is not without diplomatic risks: being perceived as a reliable interlocutor for the Sahelian juntas while also being a solid partner for countries that maintain a Western orientation. It is precisely this ambivalence that Wadagni seems to seek to maintain, calibrating each visit so as not to compromise the following ones.