President Patrice Talon
Beninese President Patrice Talon on Wednesday called on the Nigerien authorities to reopen their common border and normalize their relations, if Niamey wants to export its oil from the Beninese port of Sèmè Kpodji, in a video broadcast by the Beninese presidency.
Benin reopened its border with Niger after the announcement at the end of February of the end of economic sanctions imposed on Niamey by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), following the coup d’état who overthrew President Mohammed Bazoum in July 2023.
But Niger has kept its border closed with Benin, President Talon said.
The latter declared that the military authorities of its northern neighbor treated Benin as an “enemy” and were not cooperating to normalize relations between the two countries.
The Nigerien authorities inaugurated last November a giant oil pipeline which aims to allow the transport to neighboring Benin of crude oil extracted from the Agadem deposit (south-east) by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), an oil company belonging to the Chinese state.
With this project, Niger intends to increase its oil production to 110,000 barrels per day, of which 90,000 barrels must be exported via the port of Sèmè.
“If you want to load your oil in our waters, you must consider that Benin is not an enemy country and that the territory of Benin cannot be the subject of illicit trafficking or informal exchange,” said Patrice. Heel.
“If tomorrow the Nigerien authorities decide to collaborate with Benin in a formal manner, the boats will be loaded,” added the Beninese president.
The Beninese president did not indicate precisely whether the loading of Nigerien oil had been blocked or prohibited by the Beninese authorities.
The closure of the border with Niger had a significant impact on Benin’s public revenues and on the cost of food, which increased. Last year, Mr. Talon was one of the main leaders in the region to call for the rapid restoration of relations between his country and neighboring Niger.
SOURCE: AFP
