«Il n‘y a pas un monde développé et un monde sous-développé, mais un seul monde mal développé»
Cotonou, Geneva, 5 August 2026. CETIM strongly condemns the Beninese government’s decision to ban the 17th World Social Forum (WSF) from taking place in Cotonou, Benin. By banning public gatherings, blocking access to the facilities of the University of Abomey-Calavi, and turning away activists at the airport and citizen caravans at the borders, the authorities are attacking a historic space where popular struggles converge. This direct attack on social movements, trade unions, peasants’ organisations, citizens’ collectives, feminist associations, youth organisations and pan-African networks organised and mobilised around the Forum constitutes an admission of weakness and submission to dominant interests.
The WSF was born out of the conviction that another world is possible, when built through grassroots organisation and internationalist solidarity in the face of the logic of domination, exploitation and oppression. The desire of the ruling elites to prevent it from taking place reveals the fear inspired by collective mobilisations when they forge alliances across borders and strengthen people’s power for action.
History shows, however, that no ban, no intimidation and no political lockdown can permanently stifle movements driven by the aspirations of the people.
Today, the government of Benin appears to have chosen submission to the dynamics imposed by neo-colonial forces, missing the opportunity to be on the right side of history.
We call on the Beninese authorities to honour their national and international commitments with regard to human rights and democratic freedoms. To this end, they must renounce any attempt at intimidation or criminalisation, whilst ensuring the smooth running of the activities proposed by the participating organisations, at the very least within an alternative framework.
CETIM expresses its full solidarity with the organisers of the WSF, and with all the Beninese, African and international organizations and social movements which, for months, have devoted time, energy and resources to preparing this gathering. In this context, we wish to express our deepest solidarity and our heartfelt appreciation to the Global Convergence of Struggles for Land, Water Struggles in West Africa (CGLTE-WA), recognizing its unwavering commitment, determination, and essential role in mobilizing support for the WSF.
Banning the event will never silence the resistance. Wherever people organise themselves, solidarity is reborn, struggles are strengthened and the hope for a fairer world continues to grow.
