Faced with a rising tide of external threats in the north, Benin has spent much of the past eight years modernizing and expanding its military.
It has built several forward operating bases and outposts near the border, recruited and deployed more troops, acquired drones and armored vehicles, and strengthened relationships with international partners, including U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).
On January 22, the United States and Benin signed a bilateral cooperation agreement “strengthening collaboration between the Beninese Armed Forces (FAB) and the U.S. Army,” the U.S. embassy said.
Benin has suffered several deadly attacks in recent years, as groups linked to the Islamic State group and al-Qaida have expanded their presence beyond West Africa’s central Sahel region. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have struggled to combat and contain terrorism, and their military junta rulers have proved difficult and inconsistent in collaboration attempts.
“We are facing a painful ordeal during this period,” Benin’s Minister of National Defense Fortunet Alain Nouatin said during the signing ceremony. “The formalization of this agreement comforts us, reassures us of the sustainability of our relationship.”
The pact provides “the facilitation of reciprocal logistical support between the two parties during joint maneuvers, troop training, deployment, operations, as well as supply and service support in unforeseen circumstances or critical situations,” according to a statement by the government of Benin.
GOVERNMENT OF BENIN
In what it has called “a massive recruitment” effort, FAB has trained and deployed 8,200 recruits in the past eight years with another 1,500 being recruited, Nouatin said in a February 4 article in the government-owned La Nation newspaper.
“These waves of recruitment promote the rejuvenation of the workforce and have provided job opportunities for thousands of young people who are thus leaving unemployment or precariousness behind,” he said.
Benin has focused most of its efforts in the more rural north. The tri-border area where Benin meets Burkina Faso and Niger long has been a hotbed for extremist violence, concentrated in and around the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex. The large national park traverses the borders of the three countries and has become a logistical hub from which militants have launched cross-border attacks.
A series of clashes in late February saw one Beninese Soldier killed and two others injured by an improvised explosive device near the town of Kantoro in the northeast. On February 27, FAB launched an offensive operation in nearby Karimama that led to “the neutralization of nine terrorists,” a source close to the military high command told Agence France-Presse.
Just steps away from the Niger River that separates Benin and Niger, Karimama is among the communities that have seen a recent rise in violence. Benin’s border with Burkina Faso, however, remains the epicenter of militant attacks.
In a three-day meeting in Cotonou that began on February 25, FAB and AFRICOM enhanced their partnership with the establishment of an action plan for bilateral cooperation, a document that will serve as a road map for military collaboration over the next five years.
Chief of Staff of the Beninese Army Maj. Gen. Abou Issa also attended the event and said the complexity of the current threats to Benin requires a dynamic response tailored to the realities on the ground.
“The fight against terrorism requires cross-border and transnational collaboration,” he said.
Nouatin signed the document along with Brig. Gen. Shawn E. Holtz, AFRICOM deputy director of Strategy, Engagement and Programs.
“Our partnership has continued to strengthen, driven by our shared commitment to ensuring the security of our citizens and, more broadly, the entire African continent,” U.S. Ambassador Brian Shukan said at the February 27 signing ceremony.
The U.S. has a long-standing partnership with Benin, as AFRICOM has supported FAB for years with counterterrorism training, equipment and other professional military exchanges.
“The partnership between the United States and Benin is a strategic partnership to enhance security, promote stability and promote the prosperity of our nations,” Shukan said in a March 5 statement.