Niger’s military leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, has declared that the country’s border with Benin will remain closed. According to Tiani, the closure is a security measure aimed at protecting Niger from perceived French destabilization efforts.
“The fight that we are doing is not against Benin that we are doing, it is against the French destabilization troops that are on the Beninese territory and can harm us,” Tiani said on Saturday night on Télé Sahel.
The border closure, which was implemented after the July 26, 2023 coup in Niamey, has had significant economic and social impacts on both countries. Niger, a landlocked country, heavily relies on Benin’s port of Cotonou for importing goods, and the closure has forced transporters to reroute through Togo and Burkina Faso, increasing travel distances and costs.
The tensions between Niger and Benin escalated after the coup, with ECOWAS imposing diplomatic and economic sanctions against Niger. Although most sanctions were lifted by February 2024, Niger’s military leadership maintained the border closure with Benin, citing security concerns.
The closure has fueled smuggling activities, with pirogue operators taking advantage of the situation to transport migrants and goods across the Niger River. According to reports, the number of migrants moving via Benin increased substantially after the closure of the Dori-Téra bus route, with around 500 passengers a day being smuggled across the river in August 2023.
The situation remains tense, with both countries engaging in diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis. Former Beninese presidents Nicéphore Soglo and Thomas Boni Yayi have begun mediation efforts with General Tiani, aiming to find a peaceful resolution to the standoff.