France says it is ready to deliver drones to Benin to help the country deal with armed groups. During his visit to Benin as part of his African tour, Emmanuel Macron said France could provide drones and other advanced weapons.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in Benin that France could deliver drones and other advanced weapons to Benin to help the country deal with a growing insurgency of Islamist groups threatening the region. Like the Gulf of Guinea countries Togo and Cote d'Ivoire, Benin faces recurring attacks by fighters linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) group, as the violence expands into the southern Sahel.

Thus, France, which expects to complete the withdrawal of its 2,400-strong contingent deployed in Mali by the end of the summer, after a decade of presence in the country, is seeking to redesign its strategy for fighting Islamist groups in the region. Among the pillars of Paris' new strategy: helping countries strengthen their armies, providing them with aid and allowing them to take command of operations on the ground. Note that the Elysee said the tour was aimed at strengthening political and security ties with countries in West and Central Africa.