The Beninese government convened a meeting in Parakou on 13 October 2026 to address the prevalence of child begging in northern regions. Officials gathered for the session included ministers, administrative authorities, judges, and community leaders. Participants evaluated current strategies to mitigate the practice, which remains a significant concern for authorities in the northern areas of the country. This assembly serves as the official platform for stakeholders to coordinate their responses to the issue. Government representatives and local leaders intend to align their enforcement and community support mechanisms following the discussions held in Parakou. The meeting represents the latest effort by state actors to evaluate the impact of existing policies regarding the protection of children in these specific administrative districts.
Scale of Child Begging
Records compiled between January 2019 and June 2026 indicate that 4,453 children in street situations and begging were identified across the Borgou, Alibori, Atacora, and Donga departments. Local authorities have identified the cities of Kandi, Malanville, and N'Dali as areas where the phenomenon of child begging is particularly critical. The collection of these statistics was a primary focus for the attendees, who reviewed the data to better understand the geographical distribution and frequency of the problem. By identifying these specific urban centers, the government aims to focus its interventions where the presence of children in street situations is most concentrated.
Addressing these figures during the 13 October 2026 meeting in Parakou, Djibril Mama Cissé, ministre de l’Intérieur et de la Sécurité publique, stated: "Nous avons fait assez de sensibilisation et il faut passer à la répression. Chaque enfant qui se retrouve dans la rue est un échec pour notre société."
Abdoul-Chakour Assouma Naro, Préfet du Borgou, echoed the need for stricter enforcement during the proceedings. He urged local stakeholders to move beyond preventive measures, declaring: "De façon ferme, il est temps d’aller à la répression. C’est de la traite d’enfants. Ne soyez pas complices. Dénoncez."
To address these conditions, the government proposed the 'Pacte de Parakou'. This initiative aims to formalize cooperation between the state, the justice system, and religious authorities to combat the exploitation of children. By bringing these diverse groups together, the government intends to create a unified front against the factors that contribute to child begging. The pact is designed to ensure that judicial processes are streamlined and that religious leaders can provide necessary support in local communities. Officials have scheduled a progress review of this pact in six months to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed measures and the level of institutional collaboration achieved. This review period will allow the government to determine if the transition from awareness-raising to active enforcement has yielded measurable results in protecting children across the affected northern departments.
