French-born financier appointed Benin PM

AFP/Cotonou

Benin’s President Thomas Boni Yayi has appointed a prominent French-born investment banker as prime minister, less than a year before he leaves office.Lionel Zinsou, a dual French-Beninese national, will be in charge of economic development, evaluating public policy and promoting good governance in the tiny West African nation.The appointment, announced on Thursday evening, is part of Boni Yayi’s new 28-member government, which also sees the new role of deputy prime minister created along with three new minister of state jobs.Zinsou last year spearheaded discussions in Paris to secure some €18bn ($20bn) in international financing from both the public and private sectors for economic development in Benin.Government secretary general Alassani Tigri said Zinsou would “contribute to the effective implementation” of the promises made at the meeting.French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius congratulated 60-year-old Zinsou, who worked for him during his time as prime minister in the 1980s.His competence and international experience “will be a strong asset” in helping Benin to develop, Fabius said in a statement.Paris-born Zinsou is the nephew of Benin’s former president Emile Derlin Zinsou.He was educated at one of France’s top universities, the Ecole Normale Superieure, and at the London School of Economics before going on to work for Fabius and the investment bank Rothschild.An avowed opponent of “Afro-pessimism”, he heads the Franco-African foundation for growth, which was created in 2013 to revitalise economic relations between France and Africa.Yesterday the Paris-based capital investment fund he headed, PAI Partners, announced that Zinsou had been replaced following his appointment as Benin’s head of government.But there was scepticism about the exact nature of the new prime minister’s position and what he can achieve, with presidential elections due next year and Boni Yayi due to stand down.“In reality he has no role, no influence over the other ministers,” said Vincent Foly, a columnist at the Nouvelle Tribune daily. “With less than nine months until the end of the (president’s) mandate, we can’t expect anything from him in Benin, even if he’s known in French political circles.”Boni Yayi has been at the centre of speculation that he will try to extend his time in power into a third term but he has repeatedly said that he will not stand for re-election.The president’s ruling party won recent parliamentary elections but failed to secure an absolute majority.Some commentators in Benin saw the appointment of Zinsou as prime minister as Boni Yayi anointing of a potential successor.“We can’t read Boni Yayi’s mind but the nomination of Lionel Zinsou is as if they wanted to impose someone on us,” a source close to the government said yesterday.“Boni Yayi wants to put Zinsou in place for the presidential elections,” added columnist Adrien Amoussou.