Benin has launched a regulation granting citizenship to descendants of enslaved Africans, addressing its function within the transatlantic slave commerce. The initiative, championed by President Patrice Talon, permits people over 18 who can hint their lineage to the slave commerce to use, utilizing DNA assessments, household information, and authenticated testimonies. This effort coincides with Benin’s broader reckoning with its complicity within the commerce, which noticed an estimated 1.5 million folks deported from the area. Alongside the citizenship regulation, memorial tourism, together with websites like Ouidah’s “Door of No Return,” is a part of Benin’s broader technique to protect and share this historical past. The regulation carries deep symbolic significance for candidates, with some seeing it as a approach to honor their ancestors. It additionally resonates with these exploring cultural and religious ties, highlighting the enduring connection between Africa and the diaspora.
SOURCE: AP NEWS