Two Mobile Training Teams (MTT), composed of military personnel from the Canary Islands Command of the Spanish Army, have provided training and instruction to members of the Beninese Armed Forces. These cooperation activities are carried out within the framework of the European Union (EU) Security and Defense Initiative in support of West African and Gulf of Guinea countries (EUSDI GoG).

On the one hand, military personnel gave a course on logistics capabilities to 19 military personnel from the Benin Army and national gendarmerie. At the facilities of the Direction de Materiel des Armées (DMA) in Cotonou (Benin), Spanish instructors spent several weeks training Beninese military personnel in supply efficiency. Specifically, they alternated between theoretical and practical sessions to put what they had learned into practice and consolidate their knowledge at the Beninese Army's supply facilities.

Further, a team from the Spanish 94th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment developed a module on optronic maintenance for 10 students from the Benin Army and national gendarmerie. The Direction de Materiel des Armées (DMA) in Cotonou also hosted this second training course, which combined theoretical training with highly practical sessions focused on the direct application of knowledge to real optronic maintenance tasks. This approach allows participants to consolidate what they have learned through technical exercises adapted to the equipment and conditions of the Benin Armed Forces.

As usual in these Spanish courses within the framework of the EUSDI GoG, the training sessions were adapted to the resources, infrastructure, and operating procedures of the Beninese Armed Forces, facilitating the identification of both areas for improvement and those that should be maintained. These activities, aimed at improving the operational capabilities of the Beninese Armed Forces. With it the EU demonstrates its commitment to security in the Gulf of Guinea, which is a key geostrategic area for security within our borders.

EUSDI GoG

The Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) Decision 2023/1599 establishes a “European Union (EU) Security and Defense Initiative in support of the West African Countries of the Gulf of Guinea (EU SDI GoG)”. The main strategic objective of the Initiative is to assist Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Benin, the West African countries in which the mission is established, to develop security and defense forces capable of containing and responding to pressure from armed terrorist groups.

In this context, Benin asked the EU in June 2024 for a series of assistance measures for its armed forces. Among the various proposals, Spain undertook to provide training in various areas of security and defence.

The Gulf of Guinea is a region of priority interest for the European Unionl. By participating in this initiative, Spain is demonstrating its commitment to the stability, security and development of this African region.