The Beninese Armed Forces (FAB) treated approximately 550 patients in the northern community of Kountori during a free medical outreach mission conducted March 25–27, 2026, as part of Operation Mirador, the government said.
The mission, held at the Kountori Health Center in the commune of Cobly, marked the second phase of the operation following an initial deployment in Porga in January.
Military doctors and civilian health workers provided consultations and distributed medications at no cost to residents of Kountori and surrounding localities in Atacora Department.
The operation is positioned as a civil-military confidence-building measure at a time when Benin’s northern regions face persistent security challenges linked to violent extremism spreading from neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.
Lt. Col. Tassou Abdou Wassiou, commander of the civil-military affairs unit of Operation Mirador, led the mission with the support of medical Lt. Avlessi Mardochée.
A team of approximately 30 military health personnel, reinforced by civilian practitioners, delivered care over the three-day period.
Military authorities have framed the initiative as integral to a broader security doctrine in which sustainable stability depends on community trust.
The outreach is designed to position the armed forces as a visible, constructive presence in regions where access to health care remains limited and where armed groups have historically sought to exploit governance gaps.
Operation Mirador is expected to continue its phased rollout across Atacora Department.
