African Peer Review Mechanism all African Union (AU) countries. Accession begins with an expression of interest in membership followed by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the country and the APR Forum. 37 Member Countries Algeria Angola Benin Burkina Faso Cameroon Chad Côte d’Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Kenya Lesotho Liberia Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mozambique Republic of Niger Namibia Nigeria Republic of Congo Rwanda Sao Tome & Principe Senegal Sierra Leone South Africa Sudan Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia The APRM has entered into special support agreements with partner institutions designated by the Forum as Strategic
Benin has had a tumultuous history since then, with many different democratic governments, military coups, and military governments. A Marxist–Leninist state called the People's Republic of Benin existed between 1975 and 1990. In 1991, it was replaced by the current multi-party Republic of Benin. During the colonial period and at independence, the country was known as Dahomey. On 30 November 1975, it was renamed to Benin, after the body of water on which the country lies—the Bight of Benin. This had been named by Europeans after the Benin Empire in present-day Nigeria. The country of Benin has no connection to Benin