In order to enhance its fighting capacity, Benin is set to receive a new batch of armoured vehicles from France and the European Union.
Over the next few weeks, the French armed forces will deliver 15 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) to the Beninese high command, led by General Fructueux Gbaguidi. These VAB-type vehicles, drawn from French army stocks, follow an initial delivery of 26 VABs to Cotonou in 2023. In addition to these APCs, Paris has previously provided pick-up trucks to the Forces Armées Béninoises (FAB) and three Puma transport helicopters for the air force.
These donations come at a crucial time as Beninese units involved in Operation Mirador are increasingly deployed. The operation aims to eradicate the presence of armed groups along Benin’s northern borders with Burkina Faso and Niger.
For a while now, Benin’s government has been taking steps to stop incursions after several months of terrorist attacks in the northwest and northeast of the country. The authorities continue to reassure the people of Benin: “The Beninese army is sufficiently equipped to ward off all the scourges that can disturb the tranquillity of the Beninese,” Alain Fortunet Nouatin, Beninese Minister of Defense said.
The armoured vehicles are equipped with support weapons and night vision equipment to provide secure transport for troops in theatres and protect them against weapons and their homemade mines used by terrorists.
The VAB armoured personnel carrier was developed by Renault to meet a French Army requirement. The base model is the 4×4 VAB VTT armoured personnel carrier, which can carry an infantry squad of 8-10 fully-equipped troops in the relatively spacious armoured hull. Vehicle armour protects the crew and dismounts from 7.62 mm rounds, artillery shell splinters and anti-personnel mines. This armoured personnel carrier can carry up to 2 000 kg of payload in place of the troops. Most VABs carry at least a 7.62 mm machine gun, although 12.7 mm heavy machine guns and 20 mm cannons are fitted on some of these armoured personnel carriers. Ballistic protection may be provided by various types of turrets.
Beninese soldiers have been trained in the maintenance and use of these vehicles.
Simultaneously, the European Union, through the European Union Security and Defence Initiative in the Gulf of Guinea (EUSDI GOG), is delivering two Mamba armoured vehicles to the Beninese army. These vehicles, granted by the Czech Republic, were initially intended for the Forces Armées Nigériennes (FAN). However, the coup d’état on 26 July 2023 led to a diplomatic rift between Brussels and Niamey, prompting the reallocation of these vehicles to Benin.
Benin has recently been added to the European Union (EU) Peace Facility benefit list. The EU has allocated €5 million (approximately $5.4 million) to enhance various aspects of Benin’s armed forces, with a focus on operational efficiency.
This funding, categorized as an “assistance measure” by the European Peace Facility (EPF), will serve multiple purposes, including pre-deployment training needs. It represents the third tranche of EU funding to Benin this year, following previous disbursements of €25 million in May and €5 million in June.
The United States is also reconsidering its military donations strategy. American diplomatic services are focusing on developing cooperation with coastal countries, shifting their priorities away from the Sahel region.
This influx of military equipment underscores the growing international support for Benin’s efforts to enhance its security and combat regional threats.