New Delhi, July 29 -- U.S. singer Ciara is one of the first public figures to become a citizen of Benin under a recent law by the small West African country granting citizenship to descendants of enslaved people.

The Grammy-winning performer's acquisition of citizenship at a ceremony Saturday in the city of Cotonou is part of a broader initiative by Benin to attract the Black diaspora, acknowledge the country's role in the transatlantic slave trade, and promote tourism focused on slavery-related sites of remembrance.

"By legally recognizing these children of Africa, Benin is healing a historical wound. It is an act of justice, but also one of belonging and hope," Justice Minister Yvon Detchenou said at the ceremony.

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