Benin and Niger are accelerating the normalisation of their ties, which have been strained since the junta took power in Niamey in July 2023. The visit of Benin’s new president, Romuald Wadagni, to the Nigerien capital on 2 June revived the easing of tensions. On Saturday, 20 June, joint expert committees formed after that visit met in Cotonou to continue discussions aimed at reopening the common border and achieving a full thaw. The first day of talks ended late in the afternoon at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Niger’s Minister of State for Security, General Mohamed Toumba, and his Beninese counterpart in charge of African Integration, Adjadi Bakari, chaired the 20 June meeting between the Beninese and Nigerien expert committees at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cotonou. High-ranking army and police officers, as well as intelligence officials, were also present.
The experts were divided into three working groups: security and defence, diplomacy and legal affairs, and finally economy. All points of contention and mistrust were put on the table. After their work, each group will present findings in a plenary session.
At the opening, General Mohamed Toumba and Oloushegun Adjadi Bakari made brief remarks. The meeting on 2 June between Romuald Wadagni and Abdourahamane Tiani in Niamey opened “a new path, that of reconciliation and fraternal dialogue,” said the Nigerien security minister. “The Beninese delegation is fully committed to ensuring that the efforts seen in recent weeks and the notable progress in discussions become a reality,” stated the Beninese minister for African Integration.
A border reopening widely anticipated
One participant noted “an open mind and a willingness on both sides.” A senior official said that “the accusations of destabilisation are behind us,” referring to the long-standing reproaches from Niamey against Cotonou that Benin hosted French military bases and served as a relay for terrorist groups responsible for attacks on Nigerien soil.
As for the border reopening, so eagerly awaited? “It is a done deal,” assured a member of the economic commission. A diplomat added, however, that a few “confidence-building measures” still needed to be taken, without specifying which. “It will be soon,” a member of the Nigerien delegation said.
The meeting, held behind closed doors, continues on Sunday, 21 June. “The work is not yet finished,” recalled a delegate. According to a leak, the aim is to reach agreements on defence, security, and customs exchanges between the two countries.
