The Bilateral Relations between Egypt and Benin

Translated by: Nouran Mohamed 
Reviewed by: Mariam Essa 

The relationship between Egypt and Benin is good, and this can be found in several fields:

Political relations between the two states:

Political relations:

1. On June 3, 2021, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi made a phone call to President Patrice Talon, the President of the Republic of Benin, to congratulate him on his re-election for a new term, highlighting the distinct bilateral relations that unite Egypt with its sister state, Benin. President El-Sisi emphasized Egypt’s keenness to boost cooperation between the two countries in different fields, especially in infrastructure and energy projects, and to provide technical support for Beninese executives in various areas, as well as cooperation in the fields of counter-terrorism and combating acts of maritime piracy in West Africa.

2. On February 15, 2022, Aurelien Agbénonci, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Benin, welcomed Amal Afify, the Ambassador of Egypt in Cotonou. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries and support joint coordination on priority issues for the African continent. The Egyptian ambassador affirmed Egypt’s support for Benin regarding capacity building, development, and technical cooperation, underscoring the various training programs provided by the Egyptian Development Partnership Agency for executives in Africa.

3. On August 27, 2023, Sameh Shoukry, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, received a phone call from Bakari Adjadi Olushegun, the Beninese Minister of Foreign Affairs, and they held discussions addressing developments in the crisis in Niger and its consequences for the region, showcasing his country’s efforts and the actions taken by ECOWAS to overcome it. Minister Shoukry stressed the importance of resolving this crisis through diplomatic means and discussing all available avenues to reach a peaceful settlement that preserves Niger’s security, stability, and independence without interference in its internal affairs.

He affirmed that Egypt supports all mediation efforts aimed at achieving peace in Niger and calls on all concerned parties to engage seriously in reaching a political solution. During the call, the two ministers discussed the development of bilateral relations, emphasizing the importance of working together to maintain the positive momentum in relations between the two countries, as well as the importance of continuing consultation and coordination on various issues at both the regional and international levels.

Economic Relations:

According to a report issued by the African Countries and Organizations Department and the COMESA Unit at the Trade Representation Authority, the volume of trade between Egypt and Benin recorded 45.58 million dollars in 2018, compared to 32.59 million dollars in 2017. Egyptian exports to Benin declined to 5.3 million dollars in 2018, compared to 9.8 million dollars in 2017.

Agricultural Relations:

1. On May 26, 2022, Justin Dossouhoui, the Minister of Agriculture of Benin, welcomed Amal Afify, the Egyptian Ambassador in Cotonou. The meeting reviewed the development of bilateral relations between the two countries and the means of deepening joint cooperation to achieve food security.

The Egyptian ambassador confirmed Egypt’s desire to strengthen and deepen aspects of bilateral cooperation in various fields, particularly the agricultural sector, which holds great importance for both countries. She also referred to the training courses offered by the Egyptian International Center for Agriculture in several fields, most notably training on modern techniques in agriculture, irrigation, water resources management, the development of fisheries, and livestock production.

Cultural and Educational Relations:

1. On May 18, 2021, Amal Afify, Egypt’s Ambassador to Benin, visited the University of Abomey-Calavi as part of Egypt’s support for scientific research in African countries and to ensure the optimal use of Egyptian scholarships granted to African students. The ambassador met with Dr. Maxime Da Cruz, the President of the University, as well as a group of university officials, and they discussed cooperation in the fields of education and scientific research. The meeting also explored the best means of cooperation between Egypt and Benin in enhancing educational capacities and supporting scientific research efforts.

2. On March 5, 2022, Amal Afify, the Egyptian Ambassador to Benin, organized a cultural event on Egypt and La Francophonie at the University of Abomey-Calavi, the largest university in Benin, with the participation of the President of the University and the Chairman of the High Committee for La Francophonie in Benin, and in the presence of several ambassadors and members. The Egyptian ambassador highlighted Egypt’s active role within the International Organization of La Francophonie, as well as Egypt’s hosting of Senghor University, an educational institution that welcomes numerous students from various African countries. The celebration included a competition for participating Beninese students to present their ideas. In addition, the Egyptian ambassador distributed prizes to the winning students and honored the university president, the Secretary-General of the High Committee for La Francophonie, and their supporting staff.

Various Fields of Cooperation:

1. Cooperation in Water Resources and Irrigation:

a. On October 12, 2021, Samou Seidou Adambi, the Beninese Minister of Water and Mines, received Amal Afify, the Egyptian Ambassador in Cotonou, where they discussed ways to develop bilateral cooperation between Egypt and Benin, particularly in the fields of water resource management and the exploration of petroleum and mineral resources. The Beninese minister expressed his appreciation for the level of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, emphasizing his country’s interest in increasing the scale of existing cooperation and welcoming Egyptian companies interested in investing in Benin. The Egyptian ambassador reviewed Egypt’s capabilities and expertise in water resource management, irrigation, and dam construction, affirming Egypt’s readiness to share this expertise with the Beninese side, in addition to the training programs provided by the Egyptian Development Partnership Agency.

2. Medical Cooperation:

a. On February 11, 2012, Egypt sent a medical convoy to examine more than 2,000 ophthalmology patients and to conduct 80 cataract surgeries in the city of Porto-Novo.

b. On June 7, 2021, Amal Afify, the Egyptian Ambassador in Cotonou, met with Benjamin Hounkpatin, the Beninese Minister of Health, as part of efforts to open new markets for the Egyptian pharmaceutical industry. The Egyptian ambassador indicated that this field could become one of the most important areas of cooperation between the two countries.

3. Transport:

a. On July 1, 2021, Amal Afify, the Egyptian Ambassador to Benin, met with Karl Legba, the Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority in Benin, within the framework of contributing Egyptian expertise to the modernization and development of infrastructure and air navigation systems. The Egyptian ambassador pointed out that the Egyptian Aviation Academy, one of the largest and oldest aviation academies in the world, offers training courses for African executives. The Director General of the Beninese Civil Aviation Authority expressed his country’s great appreciation for the cooperation between Egypt and Benin in various fields, especially aviation and air navigation, stressing the importance of the training courses and the excellent opportunity they provide for development and the exchange of expertise.

4. Scholarships and Training:

a. On June 21, 2021, Amal Afify, the Egyptian Ambassador in Cotonou, met with Véronique Tognifodé, the Beninese Minister of Social Affairs and Women. The ambassador extended Egypt’s invitation to Benin to attend the conference and officially informed Benin of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s decision that Egypt would cover the annual contribution fees for the least developed countries. The Beninese minister affirmed her country’s desire to benefit from Egypt’s distinguished expertise in supporting the role of women in society, as well as Egypt’s role in promoting moderate and enlightened thought, which reflects the true principles of Islam in empowering Muslim women around the world.

b. On December 3, 2015, a training program for senior French-speaking African diplomats, organized at the Institute of Diplomatic Studies in cooperation with the Egyptian Development Partnership Agency, was concluded after two weeks, including 18 trainees from French-speaking African countries, namely Burundi, Gabon, Togo, Djibouti, Chad, Mali, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Comoros, and Benin. On November 6, 2015, the Training and Research Consultancy Center at the Faculty of Nursing, Cairo University, concluded the training program for health workers from French-speaking African countries in the field of maternal and child health, including 22 trainees from 11 African countries, namely the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Benin, Chad, Togo, Gabon, Djibouti, Comoros, Mali, the Republic of Congo, and São Tomé and Príncipe. The training program covered topics related to improving women’s health, neonatal health, prenatal care, maternal nutritional needs, and fetal health assessment.

English Language Coordinator: Asmaa Ahmed