Niger’s Prime Minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, has accused Benin of violating trade agreements by blocking the export of Niger’s crude oil. The dispute stems from Niger’s closure of its border with Benin for security reasons, a move that Benin has retaliated against by halting oil shipments from reaching vessels docked in its port.
Zeine, speaking at a press conference in Niamey, argued that Benin’s actions jeopardize a crucial $400 million oil export deal struck with China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC). Revenue from this deal is vital for Niger, as it would allow the country to catch up on bond payments missed during a period of regional sanctions imposed following a July 2023 coup.
The crux of the disagreement lies in a series of agreements signed by Niger, Benin, and China regarding a recently constructed pipeline. This pipeline, backed by PetroChina, transports Niger’s oil from the Agadem field to the Benin port of Cotonou. According to Zeine, these agreements stipulate that Benin cannot unilaterally disrupt the flow of Niger’s oil to the international market.
Benin, however, maintains that it will only lift the blockade once Niger reopens its border to Beninese goods and normalizes relations. Zeine defended the border closure, alleging that Benin harbors training grounds for terrorist groups seeking to destabilize Niger. He refused to elaborate on these accusations but stressed that Niger would only reopen the border when it deemed its territory secure.
This escalating dispute comes amidst a decade-long struggle for Niger against insurgencies affiliated with Islamic State and Al Qaeda. These groups aim to expand their influence from the central Sahel region, encompassing Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, towards coastal West African nations.
