Benin launches national review of coastal state stability mechanism
The interior minister opened a Cotonou workshop to assess three years of the Coastal State Stability Mechanism and plan its future.
Benin's Minister of Interior and Public Security, Djibril MAMA CISSÉ, launched a national workshop in Cotonou on October 27, 2026, to review the Coastal State Stability Mechanism (MSEC). The three-year-old program, run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and funded by the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands, aims to counter violent extremism in border communes.
The workshop brought together government officials, including the Minister of Maternal and Primary Education Armand Kuyema NATTA, ambassadors from partner countries, and the head of the IOM office. Participants will evaluate MSEC's results, identify challenges, and define strategic orientations for the next three years, focusing on local ownership, youth inclusion, and strengthening state presence.
German Ambassador Stefan BUCHWALD emphasized that MSEC targets areas with acute security challenges to rebuild trust between populations and public institutions. He expressed hope that the workshop would preserve MSEC's flexible approach, tangible state presence, and focus on vulnerable communes.
Why it mattersBenin's government is working to improve stability in border areas exposed to violent extremism through a program involving international partners and local communities.