Israel’s Mer Group has announced that it secured a €32 million agreement to supply homeland security, aerial, and intelligence solutions to a government in West Africa. The deal marks the latest step in the company’s presence across the continent, where demand for integrated security and communications systems has been increasing in recent years.
The new contract, to be executed over 24 months, includes a full package of operational technologies, professional support, and long‑term guidance. According to the company, the project’s profitability aligns with similar defense‑sector agreements, underscoring an appetite by African governments for advanced homeland‑security solutions and intelligence systems.
“The transaction constitutes another layer in the implementation of the group’s growth strategy, which focuses on the military-defense sector, and serves as further tangible evidence of the strong demand in the field for our solutions in military technologies and homeland security, as well as for the quality of the unique solutions offered by Mer Group,” CEO Avi Shechter said.
On paper, the deal looks like another win for an Israeli company that has built a global business around intelligence systems, cyber tools, and communications infrastructure.
But Mer Group did not disclose to Defense & Tech by The Jerusalem Post which West African state was receiving the systems, what specific technologies are involved, or how they will be used.
Many defense companies don’t share confidential details of contracts that can be considered controversial or at the request of customers. But, in a region where governments can sometimes struggle with democratic accountability, terrorism, civil‑military tensions, and internal conflict, the lack of transparency surrounding the company’s African engagements and the nature of the technologies being deployed can raise concerns about the potential for misuse.
According to a 2021 article by Africa Report, Mer Group provides services to the national intelligence agency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and also has contracts in Guinea, Nigeria, and the Republic of Congo.
The company is reported to have previously delivered systems related to border control, national command centers, cybersecurity infrastructure, and telecom and fiber-network developments across Africa. This dual presence of defense and communications has helped Mer Group build long‑term relationships with African governments and state‑owned operators.
While many African governments face real threats such as terrorism, insurgency, or organized crime and require modern tools to confront them, when powerful surveillance and intelligence technologies are exported without transparency, accountability, or public debate, there are risks that can extend far beyond any battlefield.
In 2018, Mer Group was reported by The New York Times as having been paid $8 million by the DRC to lobby against the levying of additional sanctions for human rights violations and widespread corruption under then-president Joseph Kabila.
Founded in 1982 and publicly traded since 1992, Mer Group employs around 650 people and operates across Latin America, the United States, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Israel. Its portfolio spans intelligence systems, cyber solutions, military technologies, telecom infrastructure, and data‑center construction.
The latest secretive West Africa deal adds to a wave of new military‑defense agreements that the company has signed since the beginning of this year, totaling roughly NIS 275 million.
These contracts feed into Mer Group’s growing order backlog, which stood at NIS 843 million at the end of 2025. Most of the new agreements are scheduled for execution over the next four years, providing long‑term revenue visibility.
“We continue to work toward further expanding our activity in the military-defense sector, as well as in additional fields, including data centers and communications infrastructure,” Shechter said.