Benin’s Minister Delegate to the President of the Republic in charge of the Interior and Public Security, Djibril Mama Cissé, officially opened a high-level national workshop in Cotonou on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, to review the Coastal States Stability Mechanism (MSEC) and formulate its strategic priorities for the next three years.
Executed in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and supported by technical and financial partners including the Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom, the cross-border stability mechanism focuses on safeguarding vulnerable frontier communities from the growing threat of violent extremism and armed group infiltration.
The strategic review brings together government ministers, international donors, and community leaders to evaluate the initial three-year implementation phase, address operational bottlenecks, and refine the program’s long-term framework. Key strategic priorities for the upcoming cycle include enhancing local community ownership, expanding youth participation, strengthening monitoring mechanisms, and improving inter-agency coordination. Highlighting the critical role of civil trust in national defense, German Ambassador to Benin Stefan Buchwald emphasized that consolidating transparent relations between citizens, public administration, and defense forces remains essential to frustrating terrorist recruitment and reinforcing the state’s protective presence across border territories.
TE/Sf/lb/abj/APA