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BENIN: US Singer Ciara Granted Citizenship Under New Slave Descendant Law

American Grammy award winning singer Ciara is one of the first public figures to be granted citizenship of Benin under a recent law granting citizenship to descendants of enslaved people.

The citizenship ceremony held in the capital Cotonou is part of a broader initiative by Benin to attract the Black diaspora, acknowledge the country’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, and promote tourism focused on slavery-related sites of remembrance.

“By legally recognising these children of Africa, Benin is healing a historical wound. It is an act of justice, but also one of belonging and hope,” Justice Minister Yvon Détchénou said at the ceremony.

In September, Benin passed a law granting citizenship to those who can trace their lineage to the slave trade. It is open to anyone above 18 who doesn’t already hold other African citizenship and can provide proof that an ancestor was deported via the slave trade from anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa through ‘My Afro Origins’, a digital platform that processes applications.

Beninese authorities accept DNA tests, authenticated testimonies and family records.

While Benin is not the first country to grant citizenship to descendants of enslaved people, its citizenship law carries added significance, in part because of the role it played in the transatlantic slave trade.

Offering citizenship is part of a wider push by Benin to reconnect Afro-descendants with their heritage. American filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife Tonya have been appointed ambassadors to the Afro-descendant diaspora in the United States, with a mission to promote Benin’s memorial policy and right of return.  

Ciara is best known for chart-topping hits like “Goodies” and “Level Up,” her dynamic choreography, and her work in fashion and philanthropy.