Border ContractsPublic register

Benin · biometric border control · passenger screening

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

Disputed Status as of 19 October 2026 · Funding type: Not published

Benin signed a contract with Securiport for a civil aviation and immigration security system at Cotonou and Tourou airports 1. The court record gives the signing date as 18 November 2015 in one place and 18 November 2016 in another 1. Benin sued to void the contract in 2017 and a Cotonou court did so, a ruling the appeal court revisited in June 2019 1. An ICC tribunal ruled for Securiport in January 2019, with US$95 million in compensation reported 2,5. The Paris Court of Appeal refused to set that award aside in October 2020 and rejected Benin's corruption argument, as reported by Global Arbitration Review 3,4.

Key terms

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
Not published
Value
Not published. An ICC award of US$95 million in compensation was reported by IAReporter 5.
Funding
Not published
Procurement route
Not published
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.

Audits, courts, parliament and regulators

  1. 9 April 2016: An interim order required Securiport to stop processing the data of one individual, under penalty 1.
  2. 1 March 2017: The state of Benin asked the Cotonou first-instance court, administrative section, to declare the contract void 1.
  3. 15 December 2017: The first-instance court held the arbitration clause manifestly void and declared the contract void for unlawful object 1.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.

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)

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 [email protected]. Last checked 19 October 2026.

Related entries