Benin-US military cooperation: Gen. Fructueux Gbaguidi at the Pentagon

The Chief of Staff of the Beninese Armed Forces, General Fructueux Gbaguidi, was received on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 at the Pentagon by General Christopher J. Mahoney, vice-chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. The talks focused on security threats in West Africa, U.S. assistance to Benin and the strengthening of cooperation between the two armies.

Benin and the United States want to deepen their military partnership in a regional context marked by the spread of armed groups and transnational criminal networks. In Washington, the Beninese chief of staff met with General Christopher J. Mahoney, the number two official on the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The meeting took place on Tuesday, August 25 at the Pentagon. In its official report published the following day, the U.S. military says the two officials reaffirmed the “strong and lasting” security partnership between Washington and Cotonou.

Christopher Mahoney highlighted the joint initiatives and security assistance carried out with support from U.S. Africa Command, AFRICOM. The two military leaders also discussed regional threats and the need to strengthen coordination with other West African partners.

For Washington, Benin’s stability is an important part of the regional security balance. The meeting ended with a commitment to strengthen bilateral military cooperation and to work with neighboring states to disrupt transnational networks and support long-term stability.

Joint training already underway in Benin

The Pentagon meeting follows several activities organized on the ground in recent months. At the end of July, Beninese and American troops completed a five-day exercise focused on detecting and neutralizing improvised explosive devices.

The training was organized with support from the North Dakota National Guard and the U.S. Military Group in Benin. It was designed in particular to strengthen the technical capabilities of the Beninese Armed Forces and their interoperability with American partners.

A few days earlier, instructors from AFRICOM had also trained Beninese Navy personnel in tactical combat casualty care. The sessions held at the Cotonou naval base focused on bleeding control, casualty stabilization and emergency response in an operational environment.

The cooperation between the two armies is also based on the State Partnership Program, which has linked the Beninese Armed Forces with the North Dakota National Guard since 2014. The arrangement allows for regular training, exercises and exchanges of experience in several military fields.

The partnership had already been discussed in June 2024 during a meeting between Fructueux Gbaguidi and then U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Charles Q. Brown Jr. The talks focused on the security environment in West Africa and on ways to jointly fight violent extremism.

Stronger cooperation in the face of security pressure in the north

The military rapprochement comes as Benin strengthens its security deployment in the northern departments. The armed forces there are engaged in Operation Mirador, aimed at containing incursions by armed groups operating from the Sahel.

President Romuald Wadagni also visited the military camp in Parakou on Tuesday, August 25, to speak with the troops involved in the operation. The discussions focused in particular on their working conditions, equipment and the needs linked to the missions carried out in the north of the country.

The threat posed by improvised explosive devices is among the concerns of the deployed forces. In July, Beninese customs intercepted nearly 500 kilograms of explosives on the Sonahoulou-Djougou route, a shipment that was reportedly bound for Malanville according to the first information released in the case.

Cotonou is also seeking to strengthen cooperation with its neighbors. In July, Beninese and Burkinabe units launched joint patrols in the Koualou area, on the border between the two countries, with the aim of better monitoring the routes used by armed groups.

Nigeria is also working on a cooperation framework with Benin and Niger around their shared border area. The stated aim is to better coordinate operations against jihadist groups and criminal networks capable of moving from one country to another.