Place du Souvenir (formerly Place des Martyrs)

On the morning of Sunday 16 January 1977, an unannounced aircraft landed at Cotonou airport. Several dozen heavily armed mercenaries, both African and European, stepped out. They were led by the Frenchman Bob Denard.

Their aim was to overthrow the government of President Mathieu Kérékou. The operation, known as “Operation Crevette”, failed after a few hours of fighting. The attackers returned to the airport and left the country aboard their aircraft.

On the Beninese side, seven people lost their lives: six soldiers and one civilian. The square was laid out in their memory.

The monument was inaugurated on 16 January 1979, two years to the day after the attack. It was built with the support of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The square was named Place des Martyrs in tribute to the seven victims. It is now called the Place du Souvenir, although the old name remains in common use: official communications still refer to the “former Place des Martyrs”.

It lies in the Haie Vive district, at the corner of rue 390 and the airport road. The airport, where the attack began, is close by.

The monument consists of three concrete figures: two men and a woman, armed and carrying the flag of Benin. Its style combines a classical manner with a revolutionary aesthetic.

The plinth refers to North Korea's contribution to building the monument.

In December 2024 the government presented the redevelopment of the square, keeping the monument. The project provides for a 7,663 m² esplanade with public benches, planting and modern lighting. The government speaks of combining “modernity” with the memory of the Beninese who gave their lives.

The square keeps alive the memory of a defining episode in the history of independent Benin. It recalls that the defence of the country cost the lives of soldiers and a civilian.

It is also a witness to the revolutionary period of the 1970s, several of whose monuments survive in Cotonou. Its redevelopment shows how the city is renewing such places without erasing what they commemorate.

A report by Afrique XXI on these monuments describes a square set to become a greener, less solemn garden, where the sculpture takes a more modest place. The government, for its part, stresses that its historical value is being preserved.

For the Beninese, the name Place des Martyrs remains linked to 16 January 1977 and to the seven victims of that day.

The square is in the Haie Vive district, near Cotonou airport. A redevelopment was announced in December 2024: access may be restricted while works are under way, so check locally. It is a place of remembrance, so please behave respectfully at the monument. No official opening hours are published online.