The interactions between Niger and Benin in the West African region have been noticeably declining and retreating, stemming from diverging political positions between the two sides since the military coup in Niger on July 26, 2023. Perhaps the latest manifestation of this is the intensification of positions between the two parties over the issue of Niger exporting oil through a pipeline passing through Benin’s territory. Benin announced the arrest of five Nigerian citizens on charges of illegally entering the “Seme-Kpodji” port on June 5, 2024, before releasing them and deporting them to Niger on June 21, 2024. Benin’s prosecutor general claimed they used forged documents to access the facility, while Niger accused Benin of kidnapping employees of its oil company who were said to be at the port to monitor the loading of an oil shipment.
Key Dimensions
There are several key dimensions related to the escalation of disputes between Niger and Benin recently:
- Benin preventing the export of oil from Niger: Benin’s President Patrice Talon announced a decision to prevent the export of oil from Niger through Benin’s ports on May 8, 2024. He stated that if Niger wishes to export oil through Benin’s ports, it must recognize that Benin is not a hostile country and its territory cannot be subject to illicit trade or informal exchange. He added that if the Nigerian authorities decide to cooperate officially with Benin, the export of oil from Niger will resume. Niger relies on a massive 2,000 km crude oil pipeline extending from the Agadem oil field in the Diffa region of southeastern Niger to the Seme-Kpodji port near Cotonou in Benin for export.
- Oil export stoppage after temporary resumption: China mediated between Niger and Benin to settle outstanding disputes to resume oil exports. This led to Benin’s Minister of Mines announcing permission for one ship to pass through its ports before things came to a halt again due to Niger’s insistence on not opening its land borders with Benin for security reasons. Benin considered this step a temporary measure of goodwill until relations between the two parties return to normal.
- Niger condemning Benin’s position on oil transport agreements: Niger’s transitional military council issued a press statement on June 8, 2024, confirming Benin’s violation of agreements on oil transport and exploitation between the two countries. The statement referred to three agreements governing the relationship between the two parties in this regard.
- Niger insisting on not opening its land borders with Benin: Niger has maintained its decision not to open borders with Benin since closing them in November 2023, despite a decision at the ECOWAS summit in Nigeria in late February 2024 to lift a large part of the impactful sanctions imposed on Niger after the military coup.
- Benin condemning the military coup in Niger: This forms the main axis for interpreting current tensions between the two parties. Benin announced from the outset its rejection and condemnation of the military coup in Niger led by Abdourahamane Tiani on July 26, 2023.
Potential Implications
There are several potential implications accompanying the worsening crisis between Niger and Benin recently:
- Worsening economic burdens on Niger
- Niger seeking regional alternatives for oil exports
- Creating growing economic challenges for Benin
- Decline in joint security coordination
In conclusion, the current crisis between Niger and Benin will cast unfavorable shadows on the prospects and areas of future joint cooperation at all levels. This will have direct repercussions on the volume and intensity of bilateral coordination across various fields, especially economic and security. This crisis will also exacerbate the difficult economic and living conditions for both countries, especially Niger, which is going through a highly complex transitional political phase. The future outlook suggests the continuation of this crisis between the two sides, at least in the foreseeable time frame, based on the absence of any data or indicators suggesting its resolution, especially in light of Niger’s insistence on its position regarding not opening its borders with Benin for security considerations related to the latter’s ties with France, which has hostile orientations towards the transitional military regime in Niger.
