Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Ms. Amanda Dory, met with a delegation of Ministers including Minister of Defense Fortunet Nouatin, Minister of Finance Romuald Wadagni, Minister of Foreign Affairs Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, and Chief of Defense Staff Major General Fructueux Gbaguidi to discuss the importance of the U.S.-Benin strategic partnership. Ms. Dory reaffirmed the enduring U.S. commitment to Benin and other Coastal West African nations. She stressed the importance of working together with other regional and international partners to prevent the proliferation of Violent Extremist Organizations (VEOs). They agreed on the need to integrate defense, development and diplomacy to address the root causes of instability in the region.
Ms. Dory highlighted the importance of strengthening civil-military relations, developing a whole of government approach to building peace and stability, and implementing security sector governance in the armed forces. Minister Nouatin noted the importance of working with the Department of Defense and others in the region to continue the fight against violent extremist organizations to ensure that terrorism does not continue to spread toward the Gulf of Guinea countries. They discussed some of the challenges Benin faces combatting VEOsin the north and how the Department of Defense can best support.
In both engagements, both sides agreed to continue working together on building the capability and capacity of Benin's armed forces and to continue addressing shared security challenges.
