The Speaker of the National Assembly, El Malick Ndiaye, was in Benin last weekend at the invitation of his Beninese counterpart, Louis Gbèhounou Vlavonou. The former National Secretary for Communication of the Pastef party attended the opening of the 2nd ^ordinary session of the Beninese National Assembly on Friday, October 31.

In his speech on the occasion, El Malick Ndiaye called for strengthened cooperation between the Senegalese and Beninese parliaments.

 

He proposes to create a "permanent framework for cooperation" between the parliaments of the two countries

“It is time to write a new chapter in our cooperation: that of parliamentary diplomacy. Parliamentary diplomacy is not simply an extension of government action. It is a diplomacy of the heart and of words, one that unites peoples through trust and mutual respect. It brings nations closer together, strengthens understanding, and gives Africa a stronger voice in the concert of nations,” declared El Malick Ndiaye. He continued: “Through this parliamentary diplomacy, we can harmonize our legislative frameworks within ECOWAS, WAEMU, and the Inter-Parliamentary Committee to serve our citizens and build concrete, just, and sustainable integration.”

Louis Vlavonou's host proposes the "creation of a permanent framework for cooperation" between the National Assemblies of Senegal and Benin to intensify exchanges on strategic themes such as security, education, digital technology and governance; and to promote training, bring together parliamentary staff from both countries and develop joint initiatives for digitalization, transparency and citizen participation.

He also emphasized in his remarks the duty of remembrance that links Benin to his country through the slave trade.

"It's the same as in Gorée, with forced branding, especially in inhumane conditions."

As if to put his words into action, President El Malick Ndiaye visited Ouidah the following day, November 1st, a city known for being the main port for the deportation of slaves ^.

The Senegalese and members of his delegation visited the "Slave Route," a unique and exceptional place that brings back to life, from the slave market to the Door of No Return, the painful and tragic memory of the men, women, and children torn from their country and sold to Europeans to serve America.

El Malick Ndiaye stated on this occasion that he had experienced the same feeling as on Gorée Island in Senegal.

“We were told how our ancestors were captured, sorted, and forced onto sailing ships to reach the American continent. The conditions were terrible. It’s the same as on Gorée Island, with forced branding, especially in inhumane conditions. How they were stored on ships, among other things. But this is indeed a painful past, which should invigorate us, push us to rise to the challenges to pay true tribute to our ancestors within the framework of resilience, resistance, but above all today, tolerance…” the Senegalese man declared.

 

El Malick Ndiaye welcomes the peaceful coexistence between religions

He also visited the Temple of Pythons (a voodoo sanctuary dedicated to the worship of snakes), and the Immaculate Conception Basilica of Ouidah, located just opposite the temple.

El Malick Ndiaye welcomed this peaceful coexistence between religions, as a mosque is also located next to the temple. After the basilica of Ouidah, he headed towards the sacred forest of Kpassè, which was once the farm of the king known for having disappeared and then miraculously reappeared at the foot of an iroko tree located in the heart of the forest.

At the end of this tourist route, the president of the Senegalese National Assembly praised the efforts "made by President Patrice Talon and the government of Benin" in the context of tourism development.

"I will invite my friend and brother, the Senegalese Minister of Tourism, to come and visit here..."

“Everything is under construction because he wants to make Ouidah the tourist capital of Benin,” declared El Malick Ndiaye. He believes Senegal should take inspiration from Benin’s example.

"I will invite my friend and brother, the Senegalese Minister of Tourism, to come and visit here in order to transform Gorée and all the memorial sites of Senegal with a real tourist route, good development and all the necessary infrastructure to develop this type of tourism, which is one of the economic pillars of our different countries," he said.