Overview

• Ciara received Benin citizenship on July 26 in Cotonou under a 2023 statute granting nationality to descendants of enslaved Africans.
• The My Afro Origins platform, launched earlier this month, will process applications with proofs of lineage such as DNA tests, testimonies or family records.
• Eligible applicants must be over 18, lack other African nationality, and demonstrate that an ancestor was deported via the slave trade.
• Justice Minister Yvon Détchénou called the initiative “an act of justice” that heals a historical wound and fosters belonging.
• Benin is investing in memorial tourism at former slave-trading sites in Ouidah, including the Slave Route and the Door of No Return, to promote reconciliation.