evidence: Koualou sits in the northwest corner of Atacora next to Pendjari National Park, the site of Benin’s first terrorist attack, which saw two French tourists kidnapped and their local guide killed in 2019. Extremists use Pendjari as a refuge, along with Arly National Park in Burkina Faso and W National Park in Niger. [...] The situation in Kourou-Koualou is complicated by the fact that both Benin and Burkina Faso claim the territory near the tripoint with Togo and jointly administer it. To reduce the chance of conflict, both countries have withdrawn their militaries. The lack of security has encouraged smuggling and related activities. [...] This year, Benin began stepping up its military presence on its side of the Kourou-Koualou territory in an effort to clamp down on extremism and illicit activities. However, it’s not clear how long the government will maintain that presence, according to ISS.