A 50-year-old Frenchman was killed in a “terrorist attack” perpetrated on Tuesday in a natural park in northern Benin, a “region of vigilance” according to General Jérôme Pellistrandi.
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The terrorist attack which occurred on Tuesday February 8 in Benin, and in which a Frenchman died, took place in an area “became a target for the jihadists pushed back from the Sahel”explains Thursday on franceinfo General Jérôme Pellistrandi, editor-in-chief of National Defense. “It is a region of vigilance for which France has reaffirmed that it will be present.”
franceinfo: Is this area particularly known for being a landmark for jihadists?
General Jérôme Pellistrandi: No, but it has become a target for a few months for jihadists repelled in particular by the French forces fighting in the Sahel. This is why the Beninese forces, with the support of French troops, are mobilizing to counter this type of attack which caused these victims among the forest rangers the day before yesterday. It is a region of vigilance in which efforts must be continued and this is the reason why, in this troubled context with Mali, France has reaffirmed that it will be present in the region.
What is the presence of French soldiers in the sector?
They are in support of the Beninese forces and what is extremely important is the sharing of intelligence. France has significant resources to acquire intelligence and it should also be noted that the forces of Burkina Faso and Benin track down these extremely mobile jihadist groups on a daily basis. Alas, what happened was that the team of rangers and this Frenchman who knew the area very well were caught in an ambush. This modus operandi is extremely difficult to counter.
Is it difficult terrain?
Yes, it is made of tropical forests in which it is very easy to hide. It is indeed the objective of these jihadist groups to track down and sow terror against civilian populations. This is also the reason why Benin is stepping up its efforts on its northern border to counter these terrorist groups which have suffered extremely severe blows, especially in recent weeks, including in Mali. Their tactics are to disseminate. These are small groups that generally do not exceed ten individuals, very mobile, on motorcycles, and who have every interest in blending into the population and striking quickly.