The Pan-African intergovernmental organization CAFRAD is celebrating African Border Day, a commemorative event held every year on June 7th by member states of the African Union (AU). This day was established as part of the implementation process of the African Union Border Programme (AUBP) in 2010.

As 2025 marks the 15th edition of this African Day, several AU member states are organizing celebratory activities. In Benin, the Minister of the Interior and Public Security, Mr. Alassane SEIDOU, addressed a message to the people of Benin, unveiling the program for the celebration under the theme Border Areas: Spaces of Social Cohesion and Sustainable Development. The security and harmony of border areas are essential to ensuring peace and stability within states. His Excellency Mr. SEIDOU’s message emphasizes the need to raise public awareness about the culture of living together, transforming border areas into peaceful places rather than sources of tension between states. He underscored the importance of promoting security, integration, and inclusion for the economic, social, environmental, and cultural development of a harmonious Africa.

It is worth recalling that the Republic of Benin has placed the importance of border peace at the heart of its strategic concerns. This commitment was reflected in the launch, in 2016, of the Integrated Border Areas Management Programme (PGIEF), which aims to reduce vulnerability and strengthen the resilience of populations living in border regions. The country also established a dedicated agency for border affairs: the Beninese Agency for the Integrated Management of Border Areas (ABeGIEF).

Indeed, populations in border areas often live in particularly vulnerable conditions, affected not only by the stability of their own country but also by that of neighboring states. These populations also experience the convergence of neighboring cultures and can serve as bridges to strengthen friendship between communities and foster cultural exchanges between neighboring peoples, celebrating their shared cultures and histories.

The celebration of African Border Day is a powerful reminder that borders are not walls dividing populations but bridges that connect them, enabling cultural, economic, and social exchanges. Borders should promote dialogue, mutual assistance, and enhanced cooperation between states. In this spirit, CAFRAD, as a pan-African institution, reaffirms its enduring commitment to dialogue, cooperation, and the strengthening of multilateral ties among African states. For over 63 years, this historic pan-African organization—founded by 45 member states—has been a guiding light and a symbol of the cohesive vision of a modern, enlightened, and united Africa.