Patrice Talon, the Beninese President, would like to see accelerating equipment to face the jihadist threat in the North.
by
Patrice Talon is strong to have a “uninhibited relationship” with Emmanuel Macron. The Beninese president demonstrated it on Wednesday July 27, after an interview with his French counterpart, passing through Cotonou. At a time when Paris is withdrawing its troops from Mali, the two leaders had just spoken to the future of the future support that France brings to Benin in order to contain the push of djihadist groups more and more active In the north of the country, border of Burkina Faso.
Faced with journalists, at the headquarters of the presidency, Mr. Talon, however, questioned the delays taken in the equipment of his soldiers by his French partner, in particular about drones he intends to acquire. “Unfortunately, we have so far failed to convince the French military authorities on certain aspects of military cooperation, particularly the delivery of equipment, but I salute France’s support for intelligence and training”, explained the former businessman in a very direct way.
Emmanuel Macron put these delays on the absence of the absence, in Benin, of an equivalent of the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), capable of managing the purchases of military equipment. In order to fill this gap as quickly as possible, it was agreed to dispatch experts from the French DGA in Cotonou. And Mr. Macron argued that pick-up deliveries, demining equipment and night vision glasses were “imminent”, as if to reassure his host, impatient to act.
triple support
Thus the security offer of France goes during this period of withdrawal from the French forces engaged in Mali, as part of the late the “Barkhane” mission. Decided in February, the withdrawal should in principle be completed by the end of the summer. No more than 2,500 French staff should stay in the region, half less than the “barkhane” workforce at its highest level. Paris is redeploying part of its soldiers to Niger and Chad, but does not hear, except for ad hoc missions, strengthen its workforce elsewhere in the countries of the Gulf of Guinea (of which Benin is part), which are more than More worried about the push towards the south of the local subsidiaries of Al-Qaida and the Islamic State.
in Benin, Paris therefore promises a triple support in the field of intelligence, the formation of troops and equipment military. “This will be in the case of case,” it is said at the Elysée. Togo has a well-equipped army, while that of Benin must be, but does not really have a tradition of purchases of ‘Armaments. “
You have 41.44% of this article to read. The continuation is reserved for subscribers.