In a move to bolster the Beninese Armed Forces, the European Union today approved a €5 million assistance measure under the European Peace Facility. This funding aims to equip the Forces Armées Béninoises with essential military equipment and pre-deployment training.
“This new assistance measure is crucial for meeting the operational requirements of Benin’s military,” stated an EU spokesperson. The decision follows two earlier assistance measures worth €25 million and €5 million, adopted on May 21 and June 13 respectively. These efforts collectively seek to protect Benin’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, while also enhancing the nation’s naval capabilities within the Gulf of Guinea through the Yaoundé Architecture framework.
With today’s approval, the EU’s total support to Benin reaches €35 million for 2024, constituting 27% of the country’s defense budget. “This comprehensive support underscores our commitment to Benin’s security and stability,” added the spokesperson.
The aid will provide the Beninese Armed Forces with a multipurpose military aircraft, bolster their medical capacities and land medical evacuation capabilities, and initiate the creation of a national military academy for training pilots and aircraft mechanics. The package also includes intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance radar, command and control capacities, and training ammunition and small arms for operational purposes.
“This support is part of a broader EU strategy combining military aid with development assistance to combat violent extremism, which threatens Northern Benin’s stability,” said a representative from the EU’s Security and Defence Initiative for the Gulf of Guinea.
The European Peace Facility, established in March 2021, aims to finance EU actions with military or defense implications, focusing on conflict prevention, peace preservation, and strengthening international security. “The EPF is instrumental in enhancing the military capacities of our partner nations,” noted the EU representative.
