Niger’s military-led government has refused to reopen its border with neighbouring Benin, saying it will only do so once Cotonou provides “reassuring guarantees,” in a move that further strains diplomatic relations and deepens the hardship of border communities.
Residents in the frontier town of Gaya have voiced growing frustration over the prolonged border closure, which has disrupted trade flows and access to essential goods. Local businesses say the shutdown has crippled livelihoods in a region that depends heavily on cross-border commerce.
Nigerien authorities have renewed accusations that Benin is hosting French military personnel in the Toro area near Parakou in northern Benin. General Abdourahmane Tiani, head of Niger’s transitional government, alleged that French troops have been stationed there since December 7, 2023, supported by the arrival of a French amphibious assault ship at the port of Cotonou.
Paris and Cotonou have both denied the allegations, saying all military cooperation between the two countries takes place strictly within bilateral and regional agreements and that there is “no undeclared foreign deployment” on Beninese soil.
With Niamey standing firm and Benin rejecting the claims, the border impasse has taken on a political and economic dimension, threatening to escalate into a broader regional standoff.
Observers say regional mediation is now urgent to ease tensions and restore trade between the two West African neighbours, whose relations have deteriorated sharply since Niger’s July 2023 coup and the ensuing fallout with ECOWAS and France.
