GLEXWE XWE 2023: Ouidah Opens for Festival of Identity from 2nd - 10th December

Cotonou, Benin

The staging of one of Benin Republic’s great events has started on Saturday 2nd till Sunday 10th where daughters, sons, friends and supporters of destination Ouidah, are celebrating the Glexwe xwe identity festival, an annual cultural event that has several activities embedded within it.

The very first of the activities was the hiking trails from the Point of No Return to the Mouth of the King and the lagoon hike from the Mouth of the King” to Djègbadji, which was followed by the planting of mangroves in Séyigbé, a locality in the district of Houakpè Daho.

The highlight of that day one was the official opening ceremony of Glexwe xwe 2023 which had in attendance invited guests, including the Technical Advisor to the Head of State Mr. Johannes DAGNON; Deputy honorable, Didier Maixent DJEIGO; General Mathias ADJOU MOUMOUNI; members of the Ouidah Municipal Council and Community Heads, among others.

The President of the Organizing Committee Mr. Jean Bernard FAVI presented the program of the celebration and representing the Mayor, was Mr. René GNIDA, the First Deputy Mayor who invited daughters, sons, friends and supporters of Ouidah to actively participate in all the activities and especially the giant picnic on Saturday, December 9.

Day one ended with the lighting of the flame of hope and the opening of the craft fair.

Other activities held on Sunday, day two was the silent march in memory of the deported captives, which reminded everyone of the history of the slave trade.

Other engagements will take place during the week for the great popular celebration among which are the arts and craft fair, artistic and cultural evenings at the Maison de la Culture until Sunday 10th when the grand activities would be held to climax the event for the year.