EU initiative organises chemical risk management training for West African first responders
The EU CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence Initiative successfully organised a sub-regional training focused on operational chemical risk management in Cotonou, Benin, from 23-27 February 2026.
Organised by the African Atlantic Façade Regional Secretariat, the training brought together a number of first responders from Benin, Cameroon, Gabon and Sierra Leone and was structured in two complementary phases, according to information published by the European Union.
Firstly, participants completed an online module featuring self-paced e-learning sessions to provide a solid theoretical foundation and a shared understanding of chemical risk management principles.
This was followed by a technical, hands-on training session in Cotonou, delivered in close collaboration with the Beninese Civil Protection Agency. The practical phase focused on operational skills related to prevention, detection, response and decision-making during chemical incidents, with exercises and real-time scenarios involving hazardous substances.
The EU credited the success of the training in Benin to the "commitment and support" of the on-site assistance technical expert, Jaouad Anter Rahmoun, the national CBRN focal point of Benin, Constant Dazan, and the Contrôleur Général de Police, Director General of the Beninese Agency for Civil Protection.
Supporting partner countries in chemical risk management
Originally launched in 2020, the activity aimed to involve all ten partner countries in a regional training. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme had to be scaled down to four countries: Morocco (which led the training), Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania and Senegal.
The Regional Secretariat therefore extended the activity to Benin, Cameroon, Gabon and Sierra Leone, "further strengthening regional cooperation and promoting the harmonisation of operational tools and practices for chemical risk management", according to the EU.
The ten partner countries requested support from the EU CBRN CoE Initiative to implement five consecutive regional projects dedicated specifically to chemical risks. Together, these projects formed a ten-year cycle of regional capacity-building, strengthening the region’s ability to address and manage chemical and broader CBRN challenges.
Beyond its technical dimension, this joint effort also contributed to expanding the strong regional network of CBRN professionals that has been developing for the past 15 years across the African Atlantic Façade region.
