Porto-Novo's streets came alive with a vibrant West African masquerade during the weekend's inaugural Mask Festival, where colorful figures, including straw-clad characters and stilt dancers ...

People in costumes perform in a mask parade during the Porto Novo Mask Festival in Porto Novo, Benin, Aug. 4, 2024. The festival was held here from Friday to Sunday to showcase the art and culture ...

Benin has struggled to resolve its legacy of complicity. For over 200 years, ... learned about Benin’s citizenship law while visiting for the Porto Novo mask festival.

Spectators poured into Benin's capital for a new festival celebrating traditional masks over the weekend as the West African country seeks to attract visitors and showcase its cultural heritage.

Benin is not the first country to grant citizenship to descendants of slaves. Earlier this month, Ghana naturalized 524 African Americans after the West African country’s president, Nana Akufo ...