COTONOU, March 23 (Reuters) - The ruling party candidate in Benin's upcoming presidential election has vowed to create municipal police forces in northern border towns to defend against persistent attacks from jihadist groups.
Romuald Wadagni, who has been finance minister under President Patrice Talon since 2016, also said Benin had "no choice" but to work with neighbouring countries to address security challenges, as insurgents active in the Sahel rapidly increase their attacks on the borderlands between Niger, Benin and Nigeria.
Wadagni described the plan for police forces in border towns while unveiling his political platform ahead of the April 12 election, in which he is the strong favourite.
Benin's national Republican Police force already has a presence in the north along with soldiers.
Wadagni did not specify a target number for municipal police officers in the area, nor did he say how much the programme would cost.
"The goal will be to ensure that young people, in their own environment, are trained, equipped, and given the opportunity to defend their homes, their families, their siblings, and their surroundings," he said.
ATTACKS EXPAND IN NORTHSecurity issues in the north will be one of Wadagni's top challenges if he takes over for Talon, who has pursued sweeping economic reforms while trying to boost Benin's appeal to tourists.
Benin rarely comments on jihadist violence in the north, though it said last April that an attack by al Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nusrat al‑Islam wal‑Muslimin had killed 54 soldiers. An attack earlier this month killed 15 soldiers and wounded five more at a military camp in the north.
Disgruntled soldiers attempted to oust Talon in a military coup in December, citing the deteriorating security situation in northern Benin "coupled with the disregard and neglect of our fallen brothers-in-arms".
That plot was foiled with help from neighbouring countries including Nigeria.
(Reporting by Pulcherie Adjoha; Writing by Robbie Corey-Boulet, Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
