The Chief of Defence of the Belgian Armed Forces, Airman General Frederik Vansina, visited on Monday a Belgian detachment stationed in Benin as part of an end-of-year tour of Belgian troops on mission abroad, the first since he took office in July.
Around twenty Belgian soldiers from the 2nd Commando Battalion in Flawinne have been present in the West African country since October 2024.
Deployed as part of the ‘Support Garde Nationale’ (SGN - National Guard Support) mission, they are helping to train the Beninese National Guard, created in 2021 in response to an increase in terrorist attacks in the north of the West African country.
Around 100 Beninese soldiers are currently being trained by Belgian para-commandos, who are spending three months in Ouassa, in the south of Benin. They are taking part in various training modules, including precision shooting, hand-to-hand combat, cooperation with the civilian population and combat rescue.
"The priority is for the Beninese soldiers trained at Ouassa to reach a sufficient level to be sent out into the field," one of the Belgian trainers explained.
Eventually, some of them will be asked to join Benin's Operation Mirador, which has been deployed in the north of the country since January 2022, with the aim of curbing the growing jihadist threat from the Sahel region. The mission also aims to train future instructors.
During his visit, Airman General Vansina met Benin's Chief of Defence and attended demonstrations illustrating what the soldiers trained at Ouassa have learned.
He also presented gifts to the soldiers of the 2nd Commando Battalion as a token of thanks for the work they have been doing on their mission.
