The President of Benin, Patrice Talon, is the favourite to take over the presidency of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).
Talon has expressed his wish to succeed Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, who was overthrown on January 24 by a military junta, according to Jeune Afrique.
The former Faso leader, who has been under house arrest since his fall, was appointed head of the conference of heads of state and government of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) on March 25, 2021.
The appointment of the Beninese president could be ratified at the next extraordinary conference of heads of state of the body which should be held shortly in Abidjan, the Ivorian capital, informed the pan-African media.
Considered an island of stability since its independence, Benin has been hit in recent months by bloody terrorist attacks attributed to jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State organisation.
Jihadist groups operating in the Sahel, particularly in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, are now trying to extend their influence to the coastal countries of the Gulf of Guinea.
CD/lb/abj/APA