Cotonou: The French hydrographic vessel Borda on a mission along the Beninese coasts.

The La Pérouse class hydrographic vessel (BH2C) Borda of the French Navy docked in Cotonou from May 30 to June 2, 2026, according to a press release from the French Embassy in Benin dated May 29. The vessel is deployed under the cooperation agreement on hydrography, oceanography, and mapping signed in 2010 between Benin and France.

At the request of the Beninese authorities, the Borda is set to conduct several bathymetric surveys off the Beninese coast during June 2026 to update the country’s nautical charts and ensure the safety of navigation in Benin’s territorial waters. The ship, registered A792 and based in Brest, operates for the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Navy (SHOM). Its main mission is to carry out bathymetric soundings, wreck searches, and obstructions necessary for updating marine charts, as well as conducting hydrographic work in open waters.

The stopover takes place against a backdrop of ongoing repositioning of bilateral relations. The presence of French special forces in Benin as part of antiterrorist operations—officially acknowledged by Paris—had fueled tensions with the countries of the Sahel States Alliance, which viewed it as a destabilizing base. Hydrographic cooperation, less prone to regional controversies, represents a technical aspect of the Franco-Beninese relationship that has been active for sixteen years.