Benin's President arrived in Niamey on June 2, where he was welcomed by the President of the Republic of Niger, Abdourahamane Tiani. An official visit as part of a West African tour aimed at strengthening cooperation relations with neighboring Sahel countries.
The visit of the Beninese president to Niger takes place less than ten days after his inauguration as head of his country on May 24, 2026. An inauguration marked by the presence of a strong delegation from the member states of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which was widely covered by the press.
Read: Inauguration of Romuald Wadagni, the presence of Niger, a diplomatic signal between Cotonou and Niamey
In Niamey, the Beninese head of state was welcomed by General Abdourahamane Tiani, President of the Republic of Niger, whose relations with Benin continued to deteriorate after the coup that overthrew the Bazoum Mohamed regime.
A visit that comes after several months of tension. The sequence is highly symbolic; indeed, relations between Niamey and Cotonou deteriorated significantly after the coup in Niger, notably with the closure of the border between the two countries.
Read: Follow the chronology of the crisis between Niger and Benin
This weighs heavily on trade between the two countries and also greatly impacts the movement of people.
For Niger, the closure of this border responded to security imperatives, while Benin has always rejected these accusations, notably the existence of a French military base on its territory.
The Niger-Benin pipeline, a central economic issue. Beyond the political symbolism, one of the important points between the two countries remains the Niger-Benin pipeline. This crude oil export pipeline from Niger to Benin starts from the PSO1 pumping station in Diffa, Niger, and ends with an offshore mooring system in Sèmè-Kraké, Benin.
However, Benin had banned the loading of Nigerien crude from the terminal station in Sèmè-Kpodji, forcing the Prime Minister of Niger to hold a press conference on May 11, 2024.
But on May 19, 2024, the first ship loaded with Nigerien crude oil finally left Beninese waters with one million barrels on board, according to the Government of Benin.
For Niamey as for Cotonou, the normalization of relations therefore goes beyond the mere diplomatic framework: it touches on trade but also on the movement of people.
Security, another priority of the meeting. In his inauguration speech, Romuald Wadagni stated that "our region is experiencing a period of serious tensions with terrorism that is advancing."
The Beninese president also declared that Benin would place particular emphasis on deepening regional cooperation with its neighbors, in the service of stability, dialogue, and respect.
"With our neighboring countries, we will place particular emphasis on deepening regional cooperation. Benin will continue to act for stability, dialogue, and respect."
Niamey, gateway to the AES. Niger is now a member of the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, whose treaty was adopted during the Niamey summit of July 6, 2024. Source: Government of Niger
In this context, Romuald Wadagni's visit to Niamey and then to Ouagadougou can be seen as an attempt to re-establish direct contact with two Sahelian capitals that have become central in the new regional balances, reports, for example, the Ivorian Press Agency.
Article published on Wednesday, June 3, 2026
