The President of the Republic, Mr. Patrice TALON, was on the diplomatic front in the morning of this Friday, October 28, 2022. The Head of State granted audiences to two personalities of the West African sub-region. The first was Mr. Omar Alieu TOURAY, the new President of the ECOWAS Commission, and the second was the former President of Niger, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU, Chairman of the Independent High Level Panel on Security and Development in the Sahel. Appointed to head the ECOWAS Commission on 3 July 2022, during the 61st Ordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the sub-regional body, Mr. Omar Alieu TOURAY came to thank the Head of State of Benin for his support in his choice to head the Commission, and also to receive his advice on the challenges facing ECOWAS in the sub-region in order to better accomplish its mission. This audience was also an opportunity for President Patrice TALON and his host to discuss the security situation and peace in the community space, sustainable development and good governance. Mr. TOURAY also praised the dynamism and leadership of President Patrice TALON. "Benin is known today as a pan-Africanist country (...) Under President Patrice TALON, Benin has sown its position in a very strong way. As I know Cotonou well, I see that the difference is enormous. Between the airport and the city center, we see enormous changes, not only cosmetic but profound. And I also follow his leadership in many areas, in culture, food security, management of state affairs. It really inspires us. And we have come to seek his commitment to us to help us in the success of our mission, "said the Gambian diplomat to the press at the end of the audience. It should be recalled that Dr. Omar Alieu TOURAY succeeded the Ivorian Jean-Claude Kassi BROU who is now the Governor of the BCEAO. The second guest of the President of the Republic was the former President of Niger, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU, Chairman of the Independent High Level Panel on Security and Development in the Sahel. With the latter, discussions focused on security, institutional, climatic, demographic, economic and social development challenges in the Sahel but also in the countries of the Sahara, the Gulf of Guinea and ECOWAS that border the Sahel countries. Find all the photos of the hearings in the dedicated albums on the Flickr account of the Presidency of Benin at the following addresses - Audience with Mr. Omar Alieu TOURAY, President of the ECOWAS Commission => https://bit.ly/3zmHARy - Audience with the former President of Niger, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU, Chairman of the Independent High Level Panel on Security and Development in the Sahel => https://bit.ly/3sGNuJC