Gulf of Guinea SDI civilian pillar delivers its first support to Benin and Ghana

The EU will support national law enforcement agencies in their fight to suppress terrorist activities in their northern territories through advice, training and capacity building activities in the Gulf of Guinea Security Defence Initiative mission.

In Benin, the mission trained 90 officers of five units of the Republican Police  to deal with Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED). The training took place in Kandi, Parakou, Dassa, and in Cotonou as part of the Gulf of Guinea Security and Defence initiative (SDI).

It enhanced  the Republican Police’s  awareness of terrorist threats and methods and strengthened nationwide C-IED core capabilities.

In Cotonou, Dassa et Parakou, 22 members of the operational command of Mobile Intervention Companies (CMI) took part in scenario based training exercise organised by the GoG SDI training teams. EU GoG SDI  also provided first-aid training for five units of the Republican Police based on the Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC or TC3) standard.  

Sixty-five police officers practiced their skills through scenario based exercises, learning how to provide medical assistance and treat injuries in combat scenarios and how to extract casualties from the combat zone.

In Cotonou a further 33 police executives followed a two-week seminar on the reinforcement of the logistics chain of the Republican Police. The seminar also helped EU GoG SDI to identify a catalogue of equipment needs which will later be integrated in an equipment plan for Benin.

Ghana border visit

In Ghana,  an EU GoG SDI team of three experts visited Ghanaian border posts close to Burkina Faso to develop support measures for the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana Police Service and the Ministry of National Security. They prepared initial  proposals for forensic training for the Immigration Service. Forensic medical evaluation provides crucial evidence of persecution or harm in individuals seeking immigration relief.

Seven individials pose at the Ghanian border for a security mission visit.