Benin: President Wadagni overhauls the military high command
The new Head of State has promoted officers he worked with as finance minister, including a general who survived last year's coup attempt.
President Romuald Wadagni of Benin has carried out a sweeping reorganisation of the country's military leadership.
The new appointments include officers with whom Mr Wadagni worked during his long tenure as Minister of Economy and Finance under his predecessor, Patrice Talon. Among those promoted is a general who survived last year's attempted coup.
The changes come as Benin confronts a growing threat from jihadist groups in its northern regions, which border Burkina Faso and Niger. Attacks on soldiers in national parks and border areas have increased in recent years as violence has spread southwards from the Sahel towards the coastal states of West Africa.
The reshuffle is the clearest indication yet of how the new President intends to manage the armed forces and to consolidate his authority over the security apparatus early in his term.