COTONOU/NIAMEY, June 6 (Reuters) – Benin authorities detained five Niger nationals on Wednesday for allegedly entering Benin’s Seme-Kpodji pipeline terminal under false pretences, intensifying a dispute over crude oil exports from Niger through Benin.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Special prosecutor Mario Metonou announced on Thursday that the group had clandestinely accessed the terminal, accusing two detainees of being agents of Niger’s ruling military junta. Metonou stated that investigations are ongoing to ascertain their motives, amid concerns over potential threats to Benin’s state security.
However, Niger’s Oil Minister Mahamane Moustapha Barke Bako refuted the allegations, asserting that the detainees were inspectors overseeing crude oil loading in line with a bilateral agreement with Benin.
Tensions between the neighboring West African countries escalated after Benin halted crude exports from landlocked Niger via its port in May, demanding the junta normalize relations and reopen the border to Benin’s goods before resuming shipments.
Despite Benin’s temporary reversal of the export block on May 15 and agreement to bilateral talks, a lasting resolution remains elusive. Nigerien authorities indicated they would escalate the issue to the arbitration court of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa.
The dispute traces back to the July 2023 coup in Niger, which prompted ECOWAS to impose stringent sanctions. Although the bloc lifted sanctions, Niger maintained closed borders to Benin’s goods, hindering regional trade flows.
Benin’s blockade jeopardized Niger’s plans to commence exports from the Agadem oilfield via the PetroChina-backed pipeline, valued at $400 million. The pipeline, inaugurated in November, connects Niger’s oilfield to Benin’s coast, aiming to facilitate crude exports.
