The EU Council today adopted an assistance measure worth €5 million under the European Peace Facility to provide the Beninese Armed Forces (Forces Armées Béninoises) with military equipment to meet their operational requirements and pre-deployment training needs.
This decision comes on top of two other new assistance measures, worth €25 million and €5 million, adopted on 21 May and 13 June respectively. The three assistance measures aim to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Benin and its civilian population. They also aim to strengthen the capabilities of the country’s navy in support of its commitment to maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, in the framework of the Yaoundé Architecture.
Today’s adoption brings the EU’s overall support to Benin to €35 million in 2024 under the European Peace Facility, representing 27% of Benin’s defence budget.
Through this assistance, the Beninese Armed Forces will be equipped with a multipurpose military aircraft, and their medical capacities and land medical evacuation capabilities will be strengthened. The EU support will also initiate the creation of a national military academy for the training of pilots and aircraft mechanics, through the training of instructors, and provide an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance radar and command and control capacities, as well as training ammunition and small arms for operational purposes.
The support under the European Peace Facility is part of a broader package that combines various tools, including development assistance aimed at preventing and combatting violent extremism, which represents 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.
Background
The European Peace Facility was established in March 2021 to finance EU external actions with military or defence implications, with the aim of preventing conflict, preserving peace and strengthening international security and stability. In particular, the EPF allows the EU to finance actions designed to strengthen the capacities of third states and regional and international organisations as regards military and defence matters.
- European Peace Facility: Council adopts an assistance measure in support of Beninese Armed Forces (press release, 25 September 2023)
- Gulf of Guinea: Council launches an EU Security and Defence Initiative (press release, 11 December 2023)
- European Peace Facility (background information)
- EU cooperation on security and defence (background information)