Owusu on Africa: Niger-Benin stalemate – another feature of the complex geopolitics emerging in the region

By Fidel Amakye Owusu

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Republic of Benin spearheaded Africa’s democratic wave, marking a pivotal shift towards civilian rule in West and Central Africa. Following Benin’s lead, countries like Ghana, Mali, and Niger also transitioned from military to democratic governments, significantly transforming the landscape of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

ECOWAS responded by implementing protocols that prohibited the use of force for government overthrow, fostering a cooperative environment among member states despite occasional challenges. However, recent tensions between Niger and its southern neighbor, Benin, underscore a disruption in these longstanding regional relations.

Currently, Niger and Benin are embroiled in a disagreement over the transportation of Niger’s oil resources to Benin’s coast for export. While initially appearing as a bilateral issue, this dispute reflects broader regional geopolitics.

Following a coup in Niger in mid-2023, Benin had pledged military support, reflecting its strategic proximity and regional solidarity within ECOWAS. However, Niger’s subsequent militarization of its border with Benin strained relations, exacerbated by broader friction between junta-led states and the rest of ECOWAS.

In response to ECOWAS’s perceived inaction, junta-led states, including Niger, announced their withdrawal from the bloc, further complicating regional dynamics. Niger subsequently closed its border with Benin, hindering negotiations over the transport of oil resources crucial to its economy.

Despite an earlier agreement involving a Chinese oil company, Niger insists on maintaining a closed border while seeking to export oil through Benin. Benin, on the other hand, links further shipments of Nigerien oil to the reopening of the border, reflecting the entanglement of bilateral disagreements with wider regional implications.

This standoff exemplifies how regional geopolitics can influence bilateral disputes, highlighting the complexities of maintaining cohesion within ECOWAS amidst evolving political landscapes.

Fidel Amakye Owusu is an International Relations and Security Analyst. He is an Associate at the Conflict Research Consortium for Africa and has previously hosted an International Affairs program with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC). He is passionate about Diplomacy and realizing Africa’s global potential and how the continent should be viewed as part of the global collective.