According to the German newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag, the European Union is planning a civilian-military mission in West Africa in the last quarter of this year, 2023. This new European military mission in Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Côte d’Ivoire aims at four objectives, including combating the spread of jihadist terrorism and Russian influence in the region.
According to information from WELT AM SONNTAG, citing European diplomats, EU countries have agreed to launch a civilian-military mission in the Gulf of Guinea in the autumn. This mission should be deployed as soon as the EU foreign ministers officially approve it during a meeting in October in Luxembourg. An unspecified number of police officers and soldiers are expected to be deployed in the following countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Benin.
The mission, according to the newspaper, has four objectives: apart from a general strengthening of security forces, particularly in the northern regions of the four countries through advice and training, there will also be concrete “preventive operational training” for counter-terrorism operations, technical support, and building confidence in the security sector.
According to high-ranking EU diplomats involved in the planning of the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, the reason for the planned mission is “the EU’s concern about the continued expansion of jihadist groups from the Sahel to the coastal countries of the southern Gulf of Guinea, which could worsen instability in the region.” The governments of Benin and Ghana have already sent the necessary invitation letter to the European mission to stay in their countries.
