Demonstrators hold up placards during a march against the high cost of living in Cotonou, last April 27, 2024. The price of a kilo (2.2 pounds) of corn, one of the country’s most widely consumed foods, rose from 200 CFA francs (0.30 euro cents) to 450 CFA francs, before falling again to 400 CFA francs within a few days, according to traders. A 120-kilo bag is now sold for between 33,000 (about 50 euros, nearly $54) and 36,000 CFA francs compared to barely 30,000 CFA francs before. On May 1, the Confederation of Benin Workers' Unions (CSTB Benin), the country's main trade union, rallied in a new demonstration, which was immediately banned by the authorities. The high cost of living and the decline in purchasing power," said Anselme Amoussou, general secretary of CSA Benin, the country's second largest trade union organisation.
