Benin Ministry in charge of Defense

The mission of the Delegate Ministry to the President of the Republic in charge of Defense is the design, implementation and monitoring of the State's policy on the defense of the national territory. In this capacity, it is responsible for:

• the general organization of military defense;
• the definition of the recruitment policy and the mobilization of the Forces;
• the definition of training policy and employment of the Forces;
• the preparation of general guidelines for Defense negotiations;
• the management of Defense Attaché positions ;
• the participation of the Benin Armed Forces in the economic development of the Nation and in all other tasks of public interest;
• monitoring of the management of military infrastructures.

The Minister of State, in charge of National Defense, is responsible for the political and administrative supervision of the military institution. It has authority over all the Armed Forces of Benin. It shall designate authorizing officers by delegation for the implementation of the said budget.

Minister of the Interior and Public Security Sacca Lafia and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Hervé Hehomey proceeded on 30 November 2016 on the esplanade of the Palais des Congrès in Cotonou, the delivery of rolling stock to the defense forces and Benin security. During a very simple ceremony, the two government representatives presented to the National Police represented by its Director, the Comptroller General Idrissou Moukaila and the representative of the Director of the National Gendarmerie, this important batch of equipment. It is 585 motocross namely 285 for the Police and 300 for the Gendarmerie and 42 Pik Up vehicles including 29 for the Police and 13 for the National Gendarmerie. The government had also taken care of acquiring and making available 8 tons of spare parts in the event of possible breakdowns when using the equipment.

According to the Comptroller General Idrissou Moukaila, Director General of the National Police and spokesman for both bodies, this is the first time that the defense and security forces of our country have received in one fell swoop such an important batch of rolling stock.

Benin's defence minister announced his resignation on 27 March 2017 to protest President Patrice Talon's plans to overhaul the constitution. Candide Armand-Marie Azannai stated that he had decided to quit because of "recent developments in this country's politics". Talon, a businessman who was elected in 2016, had proposed amending the constitution to limit presidents to a single term of office in the tiny west African nation, which is dwarfed by its giant neighbour Nigeria to the east. They can currently serve a maximum of two.

Such a measure, if passed, would be in direct contrast to a number of other African countries where leaders have sought to remain in power at all costs. But Talon's critics, some of whom have taken to the streets to protest, point out that single-term presidencies were open to abuse, as the president would not have to court the favor of voters at the end of his term.

Candide Armand-Marie Azannai had also been minister under the former President of Benin Boni Yayi before joining the opposition against it, supporting the candidacy of the current president. On 27 March 2017 the Beninese deputies rejected the urgent draft revision of the constitution proposed by the president.