[UNDERSTANDINGWAR.ORG] Benin
 ...Benin, a French-speaking West African nation, that they put where Dahomey used to be. It is a birthplace of voodoo and zombies. In Abomey, Dahomey's former capital, the Historical Museum occupies two royal palaces with bas-reliefs recounting the kingdom’s past and a throne mounted on human skulls. To the north, Pendjari National Park offers safaris with elephants, hippos and lions and tigers and bears, oh my!...
. Al Qaeda's affiliate in the Sahel carried out its deadliest-ever attack in Benin as it continues to increase the lethality of its operations in Benin throughout 2025. The latest attacks are significantly more lethal despite no increase in frequency. Benin is a key US security partner in West Africa. Jama'at Nusrat al Islam wa al Moslemeen's (JNIM's)
| …in Arabic it’s called JNIM and in French is GSIM. Recent estimates of its size range from 2,000-6,000 turbans… |
growing strength in Benin
| …that range was last year. That sounds like there may be more now… |
undermines US efforts to contain the Salafi-jihadi insurgency in the Sahel and to demonstrate to African states that the West is a more effective and reliable security partner than Russia. |