DEFEND RCI - Defence Forces Enabling Development Côte d’Ivoire

Côte d'Ivoire, a country located in the western part of the Gulf of Guinea, faces a high risk of the spread of terrorism originating from the Sahel, in particular in the north of the country.

The European Union (EU) considers that containing the terrorism threat, protecting people in the area, and maintaining stability in Côte d’Ivoire are a priority.    

It is in this context that the EU has decided to finance the DEFEND RCI project which aims to contribute to peace and stability in northern Côte d’Ivoire, by reinforcing the protection of the people living there.

The project fits in with the security-development nexus, by assisting the (re)deployment of defence and security forces, strengthening basic social services, and supporting an army-nation dialogue.

More specifically, the DEFEND RCI project is contributing to strengthening the capabilities of the armed forces (FACI) and the Côte d’Ivoire National Gendarmerie (GNCI) and supporting them to enable them to protect people from the terrorist threat.

To this end, several priority areas of operation have been selected. They involve support for:

- Ground mobility: through a larger vehicle fleet with better maintenance provided by the creation of a decentralised maintenance chain

- The protection and living conditions of the forces: through an increase in the capacities of health services (construction/rehabilitation of medical centres and provision of equipment) and a better personal and collective protection of the forces 

- Strengthening the link between the army and the nation: through quick impact activities that directly benefit people