Niger and Benin sign a military cooperation agreement in the face of the threat of jihadist expansion

July 12 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The governments of Niger and Burkina Faso have signed a military cooperation agreement in the face of the expansion of the threat of jihadist groups operating in the Sahel region towards the Gulf of Guinea, something that has raised the alert within the international community.

The agreement was signed on Monday in the framework of a visit to the Nigerien capital, Niamey, by the Beninese Defense Minister, Nouatin Fortuney Alain, who has warned that the region faces a major security challenge.

The Nigerien Defense Minister, Alkassou Indatou, has pointed out that cooperation is necessary in the fight against jihadism and has highlighted that Niger and Burkina Faso have increased their joint operations to face this threat.

“Thanks to the numerous interventions, the efforts of the government and the dedication of the security forces, Niger is now resilient in the face of terrorism. Its forces are up to the task, despite its geographical location,” he said, as reported by the Nigerien news portal Actuniger.

In this regard, Alain stressed that the Benin authorities have a plan to guarantee border security that requires the cooperation of neighboring countries due to the “inexorable” advance of a “wave of terrorism” from the Sahel.

“It is not a phenomenon that will be crushed quickly, it takes good resilience. When we look around us, the country that has the best resilience was Niger,” he said. “We have a lot to learn from this country and we have managed to sign a military cooperation agreement between Niger and Benin,” he concluded.

The Sahel area in particular, and now increasingly the Gulf of Guinea, have become a priority for Al Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates operating in the region, especially in Burkina Faso, which has seen an increase significant number of attacks since 2015.