Military cooperation: France strengthens its defense mission in Benin

Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Anthonioz has been appointed Deputy Defense Attaché at the French Embassy in Benin, supporting Lieutenant Colonel Arnaud Ardillier, the incumbent Defense Attaché.

An experienced profile to support Beninese forces

Coming from the General Directorate of International Relations and Strategy (Dgris) of the French Ministry of Armed Forces and from the Armored Cavalry Corps, Lieutenant Colonel Anthonioz has solid experience in African theaters and operational command.

He has notably served in Gabon, La Réunion, and then in the Africa section of the Specialized Staff for Overseas and Foreign Operations (Emsome).

His mission comes within the context of the Beninese Armed Forces (Fab) enhancing their surveillance and operational capabilities in response to the terrorist threat in the northern part of the country.

The Franco-Beninese partnership mainly focuses on training, institutional support, and the provision of specialized equipment. Recently, the 1st Engineering Battalion and the Center for Post-Conflict De-mining and Environmental Cleanup (Cpadd) received detectors, vehicles, disruption cannons, and portable jammers against improvised explosive devices (Eei).

Strict denial of the presence of a permanent military base

In response to speculation about the evolution of the French deployment, Paris emphasizes that this reinforcement does not indicate the establishment of a permanent military base in northern Benin.

During a tripartite meeting in March 2026 with Côte d’Ivoire and Benin, General Fabien Mandon had already reaffirmed that France prioritizes targeted support, carried out exclusively at the request of the Beninese authorities to increase their autonomy.