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 Bronzes modern period, which is an erroneous assumption considering the Benin Empire was in itself a hub of African civilization before the Portuguese traders visited. Today, it is clear that the bronzes were made in Benin from an indigenous culture. Many of these dramatic sculptures date to the thirteenth century, centuries before contact with Portuguese traders, and a large part of the collection dates to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It is believed that two "golden ages" in Benin metal workmanship occurred during the reigns of Esigie ( 1550) and of Eresoyen (1735–50), when their workmanship achieved its highest qualities. While