Beninese President Patrice Talon (R) and French President Emmanuel Macron attend a joint press conference in Cotonou, Benin, on July 27, 2022. (Photo by Seraphin Zounyekpe/Xinhua)

Beninese President Patrice Talon and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron pledged on Wednesday to fight against terrorism in Benin and the West African sub-region.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Cotonou, the Beninese president said that the challenge Benin is currently facing is the fight against terrorism, especially in the northern part of his country.

"The French President Macron and I agreed that France would support us more in our effort to fight against terrorism because today terrorism is one of our main challenges," he said.

For his part, Macron reaffirmed that "France will always be at the side of the Beninese authorities to deal with these threats. We will listen to your requests."

"In terms of security, in accordance with the reorganization that we have adopted across the entire sub-region, we will meet your requests in terms of training and equipment," he said.

Macron arrived in Cameroon Monday night for his first official visit to Africa after he was re-elected for a second and last mandate in April. After his visit to Benin, he will also visit Guinea-Bissau on Thursday.

Beninese President Patrice Talon (R, Front) welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron (L, Front) in Cotonou, Benin, on July 27, 2022. (Photo by Seraphin Zounyekpe/Xinhua)