West African country Benin is the newest addition to the European Union (EU) Peace Facility benefit list to the tune of €5 million (roughly $5.4 million) that will go to improving, among others, the operational efficiency of its armed forces.
The funding, termed an “assistance measure” by the European Peace Facility (EPF), will also be used for what a statement said is “pre-deployment training needs”.
This is the third tranche of EU funding to Benin this year and follows €25 million in May and €5 million in June. The assistance measures will go to protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Benin and its civilian population, the EU said. The Benin navy will improve its capabilities as part of its commitment to maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.
The third “assistance measure” brings overall EU support to Benin to €35 million – 27% of the country’s defence budget.
The Beninese armed forces will gain a multi-purpose military aircraft as well as having its medical capacities and ground-based evacuation ability strengthened.
Additionally, the EU support will see the creation of a national military academy to train pilots and aircraft mechanics, by way of training instructors and provide an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) radar and command and control capacities, as well as training ammunition and small arms for operational purposes.
The EPF support, according to an EU External Action statement, is part of a broader package combines tools, including development assistance aimed at preventing and combatting violent extremism, which represent an increasing threat to stability in northern Benin. This package complements the recently launched EU security and defence initiative for the Gulf of Guinea contributing to peace and stability in the region.
In April, President of the European Council, Charles Michel, said that the European Union was in the process of mobilising €47 million for Benin in 2024, “with envelopes earmarked, for example, for the acquisition of drones and intelligence-gathering aircraft”. Speaking to the Beninese media, he said that investment was also planned to support the Beninese navy and fund initiatives to reduce the threat of terrorism.
The northern regions of Benin and Togo have for several years suffered attacks and incursions from fighters from the Islamic State (IS) group and Al-Qaeda who are thriving in the Sahel and seeking to move southward.
Benin has sent 3 000 troops to the north of the country to better secure its border and has begun recruiting another 5 000 more new troops for the northern region.
Regional support
In December 2023, the European Union backed a new security and defence initiative to tackle the spill over of insecurity from the Sahel to west African countries. The initiative, with an initial two-year duration, is seen as part of a wider response pulling together prevention, socio-economic development and humanitarian assistance. It is envisaged that this initiative will provide tailor-made support to the region.
The initiative is part of the EU’s integrated approach to the region and will contribute to support Benin, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, and Togo to tackle instability and insecurity. This will be done by reinforcing capabilities of the security and defence forces of the four West African countries to contain and contain and respond to armed terrorist groups.
The initiative will also promote the rule of law and good governance in security sectors as well as build trust between civil society and defence and security forces.
It was developed in co-ordination with Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Benin and will offer “tailored support” based on needs identified and formulated by the four countries.
Following an innovative, flexible and modular set up, the initiative will combine military and civilian security and defence expertise (providing short-term training teams or visiting experts) as an addition to European Peace Facility (EPF) assistance measures, such as the recently adopted ones to support the Beninese Armed Forces (€11.75 million) and the Ghana Armed Forces (€8.25 million).
In October 2023, the EU handed over 105 military vehicles to Ghana, after they were seized from a Libya-bound ship. The vehicles include dozens of Toyota Land Cruisers, GMC Sierras and Chevy Silverados. During the handover, the EU said he delivery of the 105 vehicles was part of €20 million support to the Ghanaian Armed Forces. Further equipment will also be delivered in the future: aerial surveillance, electronic warfare systems and river craft.
The EU has “engaged a figure of €620 million for military support for the whole region,” EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell said at the time as the EU seeks to increase support for friendly states in west Africa amid fears that the decade-long insurgency crisis in the Sahel will expand, especially in light of recent coups and instability.
In May this year, the EU provided €15 million to Cove d’Ivoire to assist in strengthening the operational capabilities of the Ivoirian armed forces to secure areas close to the landlocked country’s borders with Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Sudan. Funds will also go to counter non-state armed groups which are destabilising the country and the West Africa region, an EU statement said in part.
This assistance will see the European bloc provide non-lethal equipment to upgrade intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities of the Air Force of Côte d’Ivoire. Included are communication and data transmission equipment and unmanned aerial systems (UASs). Logistics and security of military units deployed in the country’s north will be boosted by multi-purpose vehicles and personal protective equipment (PPE). Tactical and what the EU terms “on-the-job” training is integral to the assistance package.
