The constitution establishes a secular state and provides for freedom of religious thought, expression, and practice. All religious groups must register with the government. There were five deaths following the intervention of security forces in a dispute concerning the control of a mosque in Semere.
On the night of May 10, a group of Voodoo followers vandalized the Catholic prayer center of Notre Dame de Lanta in the commune of Klouekanmey in the southwestern part of the country. Residents of Save destroyed one of the mosques belonging to the Benin chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association in Save, in the central part of the country. Several NGOs including UNICEF and Plan International raised concerns over the inability of individuals in Voodoo convents to leave or convert from the religious group. Interfaith dialogue occurred regularly and throughout the country.
Embassy officials engaged with imams and other religious leaders to discuss strategies to best promote religious freedom and tolerance in the northeastern part of the country. The embassy hosted an iftar for prominent imams and delivered a message of religious tolerance and concord.