The President of the Republic of Benin, Patrice Talon was appointed by his peers to head the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) on Friday, March 25, 2022 in Accra. This appointment comes in the context of the fall of the former Burkinabe economist Rock Kaboré, who was driven from power by the military.
Patrice Talon becomes the new president of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). It is indeed for the very first time that the Beninese president elected since 2016, takes the head of a sub regional organization. He will be officially inaugurated in a month during a virtual summit. According to the comments made to the Beninese press, Aurelien Agbenonci, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that “His mandate will be placed under the sign of a will to reform and good governance, in a spirit of permanent consultation with other heads of state. His intention is not to give lessons to anyone.
Patrice Talon, the man of reforms
Indeed, speaking of reforms, the new president-elect has already proposed one that has been accepted and validated by his peers. At a press conference, Aurelien Agbenonci explained that: “The proof that this mandate will be placed under the sign of reforms is that the president has set a condition before accepting this mandate. It was difficult to have a WAEMU president from country A and a president of the Council of Ministers who is usually a finance minister from country C, because a president in office cannot systematically ask for a minister from another head of state. So President Talon wanted the President of the Council of Ministers and the President of the Conference of Heads of State to be from the same country. So, naturally, my colleague Romuald Wadagni will take over the presidency of the WAEMU Council of Ministers. This is the first reform. This is to say that things are beginning in a spirit of reform, of necessary transformation of our Union.”
Rock Kaboré’s shortened career
As a reminder, the former president of Burkina Faso has been appointed to head the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) in March 2021. This appointment was made during the 22nd ordinary session of the conference of heads of state of the organization. Unfortunately, he was the victim of a military coup in Burkina Faso on January 23. This was a legendary fall for the latter, which cost him the presidency of the WAEMU.
