Niger sets strict terms for Benin border reopening after three-year closure
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Niamey has outlined a series of stringent conditions for the reopening of its border with Bénin, a crossing that has remained sealed for nearly three years. The demands include formal defense and security agreements designed to prevent either nation from using its territory against the other, alongside enhanced intelligence-sharing protocols.
The Nigerian Interior Minister, General Mohamed Toumba, met with Bénin’s expert committee in Cotonou on Saturday, June 20, to finalize terms for reopening their shared border.
He stressed two non-negotiable prerequisites: “the signing of a defense pact” and “a security agreement that firmly establishes the principle that neither nation will allow its land to be used as a launchpad against the other”.
General Toumba also called for “full transparency regarding any foreign military installations near the border”, which is demarcated by the Niger River. These remarks were broadcast on Télé Sahel, Niger’s state television.
Over recent years, Niamey has repeatedly accused Cotonou of hosting French military bases near the border—a claim both Bénin and Paris have consistently denied.
The border has been closed for nearly three years, ever since a military-led government took power in Niamey in July 2023. The regime accused its Bénin neighbor of collaborating with France to destabilize Niger.
Thaw in relations after high-level diplomacy
Hope for reconciliation emerged last week when Bénin’s newly elected president, Romuald Wadagni, made a landmark visit to Niger. This diplomatic overture marked a significant shift in relations between the two countries, which have faced mounting challenges from jihadist violence tied to Al-Qaïda and the Islamic State.
The Nigerian Interior Minister, a key figure in the junta, further proposed “the operational establishment of a joint intelligence fusion cell” to ensure that both nations coordinate their efforts against cross-border threats.
