Benin received new high-tech military equipment from France

France officially handed over a significant batch of high-tech military equipment to the Beninese Armed Forces on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. The ceremony was held at the Center for Post-Conflict Demining and Pollution Action Training (CPADD) at Camp Colonel Jean Kouagou N’PINA in Ouidah, Benin, and was formally accepted on behalf of the 1st Engineer Battalion and CPADD in the presence of military and diplomatic officials from both nations. Colonel Gilbert Lossitode represented the Chief of the General Staff of the Beninese Armed Forces at the ceremony. The event was hosted by the CPADD Director, Lieutenant-Colonel Djimon Sahgui, and attended by France’s Defense Attaché to Benin, Lieutenant-Colonel Arnaud Ardillier, representing the French Embassy.

Lieutenant-Colonel Sahgui stated that the proliferation of IEDs in northern Benin necessitates ongoing adjustments to both equipment and training. He described the partnership with France as “solid and exemplary,” a sentiment echoed by French officials present.

Lieutenant-Colonel Ardillier emphasized that the donation was a direct investment in the safety of Beninese troops and nearby civilians, highlighting the importance of jammers as essential tools for neutralization teams.

Colonel Lossitode, accepting the equipment on behalf of the high command, expressed gratitude to France for what he described as an act of solidarity and a tangible commitment to national security. He associated the donation with Operation Mirador, Benin’s ongoing campaign to secure its northern border with Burkina Faso and Niger.

The package includes IED detectors, disruptor water cannons, portable jammers, specialized tactical vehicles, and other technical equipment. Disruptor cannons are barrel-mounted devices that fire a jet of water or a projectile to disable a bomb’s triggering mechanism without detonating it. This renders the device safe instantly before the primary charge can detonate. Portable jammers are battery-powered units carried by troops or deployed in tactical areas that broadcast on the same radio frequencies used by remote detonation devices, blocking signals before they reach the IED.

In 2022, France donated tactical equipment valued at approximately $200,000 for the security sector. In 2023, Ambassador Marc Vizy delivered refurbished VAB armored personnel carriers in Cotonou for counter-terrorism purposes. In mid-2023, Benin’s air force received 3 Puma helicopters from France, and in September, the French Defense Ministry’s procurement agency signed an €11.7 million contract to support an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance program within the country. Additionally, Benin added further armored vehicles in 2025 as part of broader modernization efforts.

Other international partners have contributed additional capacity. In 2024, the EU European Peace Facility (EPF) approved a total of €35 million comprising a €25 million package in May and two separate €5 million packages in June and July, to fund intelligence collection, drones, and a multi-purpose military aircraft. Spain has conducted mobile training courses on C-IED tactics through CPADD, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has worked with Beninese authorities to standardize evidence collection from explosive incidents in border areas, addressing a significant challenge in prosecuting counter-terrorism operations.

CPADD serves as the regional hub for such activities. Established with French support and inaugurated in 2003 in Ouidah, the center has trained over 3,800 students from Africa, Europe, and the Middle East in demining and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), a technical discipline involving locating, identifying, and disarming unexploded ordnance and IEDs. The role of the center is to integrate new equipment, such as this latest shipment. The new detectors and disruptor cannons supply EOD teams with additional options for addressing a device once discovered. Portable jammers mitigate the challenge of remotely triggered devices by radio or mobile signals, which has led militant groups to adopt more sophisticated detonation methods as detection capabilities have advanced.

Furthermore, this equipment signifies continuity in the France-Benin defense relationship amid a broader reduction in French military cooperation elsewhere in West Africa following the withdrawal of forces from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Whilst Benin has maintained its bilateral ties with Paris, this donation underscores France’s ongoing commitment by viewing CPADD and the 1st Engineer Battalion as active functional partnerships rather than mere legacy commitments. Ardillier indicated that the new devices will be incorporated into CPADD’s EOD training curriculum, potentially extending their impact beyond the directly equipped units.

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