Benin

COTONOU, Benin, Jan 9 (NNN-IRIN) – The people of Benin went to vote in the legislative elections yesterday.

At 7.00 a.m., local time, the vote began, under the supervision of observers from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and representatives of seven contesting political parties in the country.

Beninese President, Patrice Talon, said yesterday that, he was satisfied with the entire electoral process for the legislative ballot.

COTONOU, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- People of Benin went to vote in legislative elections Sunday.

At 7 a.m., local time, the vote began under the supervision of observers from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and representatives of seven contesting political parties in the country.

Beninese President Patrice Talon said Sunday that he was satisfied with the entire electoral process underway for the legislative ballot.

COTONOU, Benin (AP) — Attacks by suspected Islamic extremists in northern Benin have killed at least eight people, including army soldiers, park rangers and a French instructor, the government has confirmed.

Six people were killed and a dozen injured in an ambush Tuesday which included explosions from improvised land mines on a patrol of park rangers in the north of the W National Park near the borders of neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, Benin government spokesman Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji said.

COTONOU, May 9 (NNN-Xinhua) — Benin’s Minister of the Interior Sacca Lafia on Saturday warned of a destabilizing plan as a serious threat to the integrity of the country.

Lafia sounded the alarm in a statement here in the economic capital Cotonou, citing the seizures of batches of ammunitions in Benin as well as in neighboring Togo.

He recalled that on April 30, Benin’s police seized a batch of 70,000 cartridges of 12 mm calibre on board a vehicle.

COTONOU, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Health Minister of Benin Benjamin Hounkpatin said Saturday his country plans to launch a nationwide immunization campaign against COVID-19 in the coming week with AstraZeneca vaccines, the national radio reported.

"It is now time to go for immunization," he said.

On March 10, Benin received 144,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. However, the country had delayed its immunization campaign because of concerns over side effects.

COTONOU, June 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Pirates kidnapped at least six crew members of a fishing vessel on Wednesday off the coast of Benin in West Africa.

Five abductees are South Korean nationals, while the sixth person is said to be Ghanaian, according to media reports quoting South Korea’s foreign ministry.

Maritime security company Dryad Global reports that the speed boat used to attack Ghanaian-flagged Panofi Frontier was last seen heading towards Nigerian waters after the abduction.

COTONOU, Nov 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — Benin called on the European Union (EU) to send a new ambassador to the West African country as the incumbent one was ordered to leave for his involvement in “subversive” activities, Benin’s government spokesman Alain Orounla said here Thursday.

“Our country wishes to maintain the partnership with (the) EU of which we expect the authorities to appoint a new ambassador for the continuation of our diplomatic ties,” Orounla said in a news broadcast on the country’s mainstream television channel and radio operator ORTB.

COTONOU, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Benin called on the European Union (EU) to send a new ambassador to the West African country as the incumbent one was ordered to leave for his involvement in "subversive" activities, Benin's government spokesman Alain Orounla said here Thursday.

"Our country wishes to maintain the partnership with (the) EU of which we expect the authorities to appoint a new ambassador for the continuation of our diplomatic ties," Orounla said in a news broadcast on the country's mainstream television channel and radio operator ORTB.