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Benin · biometric border control · passenger screening

Civil aviation and immigration security system (CAISS) at Cotonou and Tourou airports

Disputed Status as of 31 December 2020 · Funding type: Passenger or user fee

The Paris Court of Appeal records a 20-year airport-security contract signed in stages in November 2015 and January 2016 6. The CCJA text has a separate 2015 versus 2016 date discrepancy 1. Benin challenged the contract and alleged corruption. The companies denied the allegations 6. An ICC award followed on 24 January 2019 2. The Paris court rejected annulment on 27 October 2020, finding the asserted corruption indicators insufficient 6. This was review of the award, not a general clearance of every contract issue. A later CCJA appeal was dismissed as late 1.

Key terms

Read the guide to API and PNR passenger data.

Buyer
Republic of Benin
Vendor
Securiport LLC
Vendor based in
United States
Signed
18 November 2015, per the Cotonou Court of Appeal ruling as quoted by the CCJA. The CCJA recitals give 18 November 2016. The Council of Ministers authorised signature after the fact on 29 November 2015 and 26 January 2016.
Duration
20 years according to paragraph 2 of the Paris appeal judgment 6.
Value
Not published. An ICC award of US$95 million in compensation was reported by IAReporter 5.
Funding
passenger fee
Fee model
USD 20 per arriving and departing international passenger, instituted by the 15 March 2016 order described in paragraph 35 of the judgment. Historical fee, not confirmation of collection today 6.
Procurement route
Negotiated without a competitive tender. The Paris judgment records that the tribunal applied the national-security exception to procurement rules. Benin disputed the procurement circumstances 6.
System ownership
Not published
Data terms
Not published. On 9 April 2016 an interim court order required Securiport to stop processing data on one named individual.

Timeline

  1. Signed or started: 18 November 2015, per the Cotonou Court of Appeal ruling as quoted by the CCJA. The CCJA recitals give 18 November 2016. The Council of Ministers authorised signature after the fact on 29 November 2015 and 26 January 2016.
  2. 9 April 2016: An interim order required Securiport to stop processing the data of one individual, under penalty 1.
  3. 1 March 2017: The state of Benin asked the Cotonou first-instance court, administrative section, to declare the contract void 1.
  4. 15 December 2017: The first-instance court held the arbitration clause manifestly void and declared the contract void for unlawful object 1.
  5. 24 January 2019: An ICC tribunal issued a final award in Securiport v. Republic of Benin 2. IAReporter reports compensation of US$95 million and a finding that the contract did not breach data privacy law 5.
  6. 28 June 2019: The Cotonou Court of Appeal admitted Securiport's appeal, set aside the first judgment and ruled again on the contract. The operative article on the contract is cut off in the published text, so the appeal court's finding on validity is Not confirmed 1.
  7. 27 October 2020: The Paris Court of Appeal ruled on Benin's application to set aside the award, judgment no. 19/04177 3. Global Arbitration Review reports that the court refused to set the award aside and rejected Benin's allegation that the contract was obtained through corruption 4. The full judgment records the companies' denial, rejects annulment and awards EUR 40,000 in article 700 costs against Benin 6.
  8. 31 December 2020: The OHADA Common Court of Justice and Arbitration (CCJA), ruling no. 369/2020, declared Securiport's cassation appeal inadmissible as filed out of time and ordered the company to pay costs. It said in passing that an arbitral tribunal's jurisdiction covers the effects of a contract, not its formation 1.
  9. 31 December 2020: Recorded status is Disputed.

Sources

  1. Kohen Avocats (republication of CCJA ruling): Arrêt N° 369/2020, Société SECURIPORT LLC c/ Etat béninois (31 December 2020)
  2. Jus Mundi: Securiport v. Republic of Benin, ICC Final Award (24 January 2019)
  3. Jus Mundi: Securiport v. Republic of Benin, Judgment of the Paris Court of Appeal, no. 19/04177 (27 October 2020)
  4. Global Arbitration Review: Benin fails in corruption challenge to airport award (12 November 2020)
  5. IAReporter: Securiport v. Benin, case page (accessed 19 October 2026)
  6. Paris Court of Appeal: Judgment 19/04177, full text reproduced by Jus Mundi (27 October 2020), paragraphs 2, 7, 35 to 49

Fields marked "Not published" or "Not confirmed" could not be established from an official or reliable source. If you hold a document that fills a gap or corrects an entry, write to editor@bordercontracts.org. Last checked 19 October 2026.

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