Talon-Yayi meeting : Below

The encounter, yesterday wednesday 22 September 2021, between Patrice Talon and his predecessor, Boni Yayi is the result of months of intense negotiations undertaken by various personalities and organizations behind the scenes..

Sworn enemies for over 8 years, ex-president Yayi Boni and his successor Patrice Talon finally met this Wednesday 22 September, at the Marina Palace in Cotonou. On today's agenda, the questions that annoy, in short, the bone of contention between the two leading personalities in Benin. Indeed, after being chased by Yayi Boni, of whom he was a very close ally during part of his two terms between 2006 and 2016, Patrice Talon took his revenge by pushing his former friend and executioner to his limits. All this against a backdrop of political conflict.

This Wednesday's tête-à-tête is the first since a first meeting that took place in 2016 under the gaze of Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara who was asked to mediate between the two men. After exchanging hugs, hostilities have resumed with a vengeance.

More, since his re-election in April 2021, President Talon has shown his desire to pacify the political situation which has continued to worsen in large part due to hostility with his predecessor. "Our leitmotif must be to silence our quarrels in order to devote ourselves to the essentials, consolidate our march towards progress by remaining mobilized and united in our fight against poverty, our real and only enemy ”, had he then hinted.

Since, the presidents of the institutions of the Republic have taken their pilgrim sticks in an attempt to rally opposition officials to the declared objective of the President of the Republic. With mixed success as a large number of opponents languish in prison and many others are forced to remain in exile. Your newspaper Gaskiyani Info had also noted that no reconciliation between Talon and Yayi would be possible unless the question of the opposition was approached with, the key to promises to be made as soon as possible.

Beyond national mediations, current and even former heads of state also intervened. We remember that former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo came to Cotonou twice without making any official statements. Alassane Outtara - again him- also approached President Talon to ask him to take initiatives in favor of a return to peace. Without a doubt, did he show his case he who, after waging war -3000 dead- and sent Laurent Gbagbo to prison for 10 years via the International Criminal Court, ended up receiving the latter in an effort of national reconciliation.

Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé also pleaded Yayi Boni's cause, no doubt to also obtain the release of his protege Reckya Madougou. The latter, candidate de “The Democrats” in the presidential election last April, has been imprisoned since the day before this electoral consultation. It should therefore be noted that several heads of state in the sub-region pleaded for the two men to speak and listen to each other..

Patrice Talon spoke to his predecessor

 "I find with happiness the Beninese people whom I greet with consideration and respect. Mister President ! Really it's an honor for me and a great pleasure to see you again, to find you. I give thanks that you are there in your capacity. I am all moved. Thank you for the initiative. Thank you for this meeting that I have been waiting for a very long time and the entire Beninese people. Beninese inside and outside were waiting for that moment to see us together. You have devoted so much time and energy of your life to the service of the Beninese Nation. So you understand what an emotion and how proud I am to receive you here and also to pass on to our fellow citizens this message that those who have devoted time to this Nation have the grace of life and health to see each other, to talk to each other and give each other advice so that our fellow citizens continue to believe in this and to see in us the artisans of this unity. Thank you "

Yayi at the end of the hearing

"President Talon and I took a tour of peace issues, of security, democracy and development in our country. We agreed that political relaxation is essential for lasting peace in our common city in order to ensure our living together, concord and national cohesion. This is not a TALON-YAYI affair but the question is rather knowing what to do so that our fellow citizens enjoy the joy, the pleasure and consensus to face the internal and external challenges and shocks that the country continues to face, in particular during the electoral consultations over the past three years. In this perspective, the following national salvation measures should be taken as soon as possible: End all political and public arrests to allow all of our compatriots who have recently taken refuge abroad to return home. Release all political detainees including among others our compatriots Madam Minister Reckyath Madougou and Professor Joël Aïvo failed candidates in the last Presidential election. Of course, the case of many young people suffering in our prisons has not escaped us. Draw on the appropriate institutional arsenal in order to promote the immediate return to the Motherland of all political exiles, whether condemned or not. The most famous are known Ladies and Gentlemen Fatoumata Djibril, Sebastien Ajavon, Komi Koutche,  Valentin Djenontin, Lehady soglo, Simple CODE, Leonce Houngbadji, etc. Institutionalize periodic consultation with Former Presidents and other wise men from civil society to prevent any crisis likely to call our democracy into question, peace and our living together within our Community. Open consultation with the political class to discuss political issues, sources of social tension and avoid all forms of exclusion. Ultimately, in exceptional situations, exceptional measures. Political tension and its social consequences have a cause. She is political. We therefore need a political solution to curb this political crisis. My request is that of President SOGLO and a whole people. It is up to President TALON to urgently take a historic and patriotic decision for the good of the Nation., the general interest, which will allow, to the daughters and sons of Benin, to bring their stones to the building of our Great and Beautiful country. Finally,  Dialogue to prevent the dead is better than waiting for the dead before dialogue ".

It promises

After the meeting between the two men, everything seems to take shape that the pipe of peace will be smoked for the good of all. And for good reason, this encounter is the sign that Yayi Boni has now grasped the outstretched hand that he could not without looking like a traitor in the eyes of all those who fought alongside him. Although a lot of things happened in the last election. But also, in Ivory Coast, there was a war between the camp Alassane Ouattara and that Laurent Gbagbo with, for result more than 3000 dead. This liability has been paid off in the name of national reconciliation. But what is certain, it is that it remains well below and very far from the Ivorian carnage. It is therefore possible to wipe out the past and start afresh in the name of peace.. This is why the past must be erased to give way to a new dawn. Courage, tolerance, hope, the future, the peace, solidarity ... so many words, of values, which resonate more than ever in the heads and hearts of the Beninese people. As a German proverb says "Peace nourishes ; war consumes ".

Pierre MATCHOUDO