EUSDI Gulf of Guinea
From 01/03/2025 to 22/11/2025
(ST on UAV/Drones ops in Benin)
The European Union Security and Defence Initiative in support of West African countries of the Gulf of Guinea (EU SDI in the Gulf of Guinea) was established in December 2023 in partnership with Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Benin. It is based on tailored support combining military and civilian expertise based on the needs identified and formulated by the four countries themselves. The initiative complements the EU’s ongoing support to maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.
In March, a team of five EU drone experts from the European Gendarmerie Force (EUROGENDFOR) arrived in Benin to train the Republican Police in using drones to support their work. The training program covers piloting, imaging, operational flight planning, and maintenance. The objective of the training is to enhance the operational capabilities of the police through a more efficient use of these new tools for surveillance.
As part of the EUSDI Gulf of Guinea Mission, a team of Portuguese National Republican Guard (GNR) drone specialists was deployed to Ghana, in 2025. The purpose of the deployment is to provide training to the country’s police forces in the use and handling of unmanned vehicles.
Drone training enhances the operational capabilities of the police by improving their surveillance capabilities.
The EUROGENDFOR’s involvement on this mission concluded on 22 November 2025.
Updated, November 2025.
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