PROTECTING CIVILIANS

IN COASTAL WEST AFRICA

CONTEXT

Northern Benin and Togo sit on the front line of a regional security crisis largely driven by the spillover of the insecurity from the central Sahel and the activities of Al-Qaida-affiliated non-State Armed Groups. The expansion of the threat in the northeast, driven by the activities of armed groups operating in Nigeria, is leading to population displacement and an influx of refugees into northeastern Benin, further increasing security and protection challenges.

Communities in these border areas face a rapidly deteriorating security environment marked by daily threats, including kidnappings, improvised explosive devices, cattle theft, and pressure on vulnerable populations - especially women and youth - to collaborate with armed actors.

These risks are compounded by structural challenges such as poverty, limited basic services, land and transhumance conflicts, and climate change.

Furthermore, the influx of refugees from the Sahel and, more recently, from Nigeria and internal displacement strains local resources and heightens social tensions.

CIVIC in
Coastal
West Africa

CIVIC launched its Coastal West Africa program in March 2025 to prevent, reduce, and respond to conflict-related harm. Placing communities at the center of our response, we support residents in building the skills and capacity to identify and advocate for their own protection.

Additionally, we support authorities and key stakeholders to adopt and implement Protection of Civilians (PoC) and Civilian Harm Mitigation (CHM) policies, tools, and practices. We also work to strengthen the capacity of security and defense forces to prevent and address civilian harm.

KEY PILLARS

To enhance civilian protection, our strategic response rests
on three core pillars.

Community-Based Protection

Recognizing communities as agents of their own protection, CIVIC helps establish Community Protection Committees (CPCs) or works with existing relevant platforms.

These groups identify risks, develop self-protection strategies, facilitate civil-military dialogues, and advocate for local safety needs.

Through the Local Initiative Fund (LIF), CIVIC also funds and implements practical solutions designed by the communities themselves.

Engaging with Security and Defense Forces

CIVIC delivers CHM training sessions to improve the knowledge, practices, tools, and doctrines of security forces on PoC.

This helps prevent and respond to civilian harm during operations while building trust and collaboration with local communities.

Evidence-Based Research and Policies

CIVIC conducts research and analysis on the major PoC threats and CHM practices within military and security operations.

Our analysis informs decision-making and advances civilian protection standards across the region.

GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS

CIVIC prioritizes its operations in the border regions in Benin and Togo where communities face the highest risks from cross-border armed group activity, displacement, and resource scarcity.

Benin

CIVIC operates in the Atacora Department, specifically in the commune of Matéri and the Gouandé arrondissement.

In this area, CIVIC has established community protection and resilience groups, facilitated civil-military dialogue, and supported the development of local protection initiatives tailored to risks identified by communities.

Togo

CIVIC operates in the Savanes Region, particularly in the Kpendjal prefecture and the Mandouri canton, with expansion planned into the Kara region along the Beninese border.

Activities in this region included the establishment of a protection group, the analysis of protection needs, and the development of a protection plan, promoting civil-military dialogue, and enhancing trust between communities, local authorities, and security forces.

CIVIC also supported the establishment of a national consultation framework for the co-production of security, under the leadership of the General Coordination of the Emergency Programme for Community Resilience and Security (PURS).

KEY
RESULTS

Community-Based Protection

Outputs: Between February and May 2026, CIVIC established a Community Protection Group (CPG) in Matéri, a commune within the Atacora Department of Benin, composed of 28 members from the local community. As part of our activity implementation, we conducted 10 working sessions focused on the functioning of protection and resilience committees, the development of protection analyses and plans, as well as sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

Key Milestone: In May 2026 in Togo, CIVIC, local partner REFED, and government stakeholders established a consultative framework to advance collaborative security and community-based protection under the leadership of the Emergency Program for Strengthening Resilience and Security of Communities (PURS).

Capacity building and technical support to Security and Defence Forces

Outputs: CIVIC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Beninese Armed Forces to strengthen capacity-building on CHM of military personnel deployed for the counterterrorism operation, codenamed Mirador, in northern Benin. As of May 2026, more than 400 military personnel have completed CHM training, and over 30 members of the Civil-Military Coordination Cells have received instruction on community-based protection.

Outcome: As a result of the training, military personnel increased their awareness on the PoC risks faced by civilians and recognized their relevance to field operations.

This initial training marks a significant step toward institutionalizing PoC within military operations in Benin and fostering long-term trust between security forces and the communities they serve.

"The sessions on minimizing harm to civilians fill an important gap in the military training offered in Benin".
A representative of the Beninese Armed Forces

Evidence-based humanitarian diplomacy

Output: Publication of analyses supporting humanitarian diplomacy efforts focusing on high-risks areas of Northern Benin and Northeast Benin-Northwest Nigeria.

To disseminate key findings of the research on civilian perspectives regarding responses to insecurity in Northern Benin, CIVIC was invited by UNODC and the Benin Office of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) to present to security and defense forces, government institutions, and other key stakeholders during a panel on civil-military cooperation under Operation Mirador.

Outputs: In June 2026, CIVIC and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) convened a strategic reflection workshop in Cotonou, bringing together approximately 30 key stakeholders—including policymakers, regional diplomatic representatives, Operation Mirador security forces, researchers, traditional hunters, and civil society actors—to address emerging security developments and civilian protection challenges in northeastern Benin.

Outcomes: This initiative successfully fostered stronger multi-stakeholder consensus on containing regional threats and strengthening civilian protection along northern border areas. Key outcomes included advancing cross-border alignment and intelligence-sharing among Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo to prevent the emergence of a new "three-border zone" similar to Liptako-Gourma. The dialogue also catalyzed critical reflection on regulating traditional hunters operating alongside national defense forces, establishing agreement on the urgent need for strict codes of conduct, human rights standards, and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) training to mitigate abuse. Furthermore, stakeholders embraced lessons learned from the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, building momentum toward community-centric, multidimensional interventions that address core community vulnerabilities across health, education, and employment.

Future

Focus

As insecurity persists in Coastal West Africa, CIVIC will continue to ensures that civilian protection remains central by expanding partnerships, strengthening local protection mechanisms, and supporting accountable security responses.

In Benin, CIVIC plans to expand progressively across the four northern departments, prioritizing areas bordering conflict zones (Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo), while also investing in preventive measures in stable areas like the Donga Department. Efforts will center on forming CPGs, driving civil-military dialogue, distributing LIF grants, and offering technical PoC guidance to local security responses.

In Togo, CIVIC will partner with public authorities to strengthen collaborative security across the north of the country. We will reinforce and revitalize existing local protection and resilience committees, establish new ones, and deploy LIF funding for community-driven solutions. Moreover, we will continue equipping authorities with tools to lead community-centered security efforts more effectively, with the ultimate objective of improving protection outcomes and reinforcing resilience in conflict-affected communities.

In 2027, CIVIC envisions expanding to northern Ghana at the border with Burkina Faso to enhance PoC in response to the spread of the conflict.

PARTNERS
&
STAKEHOLDERS

Materi Commune / Atacora Department, Benin

Kpendjal Prefecture, Togo

Benin Agency for the Integrated Management of Border Areas (ABeGIEF)

Emergency Program for Strengthening Resilience and Security of Communities (PURS)

General Staff of the Beninese Armed Forces

Havre de Paix NGO, Benin

Network of Women for Development (REFED) NGO, Togo
Benin Civil Protection Agency (ABPC)