France pledges more security, education support to Benin

By VIRGILE AHISSOU
Associated Press

COTONOU, Benin (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged security cooperation and support to Benin as it fights rising threats of extremism. France will also invest in education and a cultural center for the West African nation. Macron made the pledges after meeting Wednesday with Benin President Patrice Talon as part of a three-country tour to improve relations with the nations of west and central Africa. Benin is Macron’s second leg of the journey after visiting Cameroon. He next heads to Guinea-Bissau.  Benin and neighboring Togo have suffered deadly recent attacks, and are seeing increased risk of violence from al-Qaida and Islamic State-linked groups who are spreading south from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.