France, March 7 -- High-ranking military officials in charge of counterterrorism operations in Benin and Nigeria met in Cotonou on 27 February to discuss future cooperation, alongside French representatives.

The plan includes the coordination of border patrols, joint operations, intelligence sharing and increased monitoring of cross-border flows, which are to be discussed further later this month.

For Heni Nsaibia, senior West Africa analyst at the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data group (ACLED), the collaboration is "a step in the right direction" for tackling the rise in violence.

The border area between Benin, Niger and Nigeria has become a new focus of jihadist violence since 2025, Nsaibia said.

"Due to very weak bo...