Niger–Benin: President Abdourahamane Tiani confirms the border will remain closed

The announcement comes amid persistent diplomatic and security tensions between the two countries. The Nigerien president specifically pointed to what he said was the presence of foreign forces on Beninese soil, including French soldiers, and presented the closure as a necessary act of sovereignty: “Opening it would amount to betraying the will for protection expressed by the Nigerien people,” he said before the Defence and Security Forces.

For Niger, the measure is justified by security concerns linked to Sahelian instability and to uncontrolled flows along the border.

For Benin, this situation represents a significant economic concern, particularly for the transit of goods via the corridor linking the port of Cotonou to Niger.

The prolonged closure of this border marks a new stage in the diplomatic crisis between Niamey and Cotonou.