Niger: When the spirit of revenge drives President Patrice Talon to multiply his mistakes and accelerate his downfall
Since the overthrow of Bazoum Mohammed’s government, followed by the incongruities of ECOWAS, Benin, a neighboring country of Niger, has adopted unworthy behaviors towards good neighborly relations. Being a coastal country, Benin has historically developed trade relations with Niger through its port.
However, with ECOWAS’s criminal sanctions, Benin closed its borders without warning, also prohibiting Nigerien operators access to the port of Cotonou, thus abandoning the Nigerien people to unheard-of suffering. This situation persisted for months before ECOWAS decided to lift the sanctions.
However, during this time, the Nigerien authorities took appropriate measures by instructing economic operators to now transit their goods through the autonomous port of Lomé. Even with the lifting of sanctions, Niger has kept its borders closed with Benin and continues to route its goods through Lomé, which has left President Patrice Athanase Talon in a state of agitation.
In retaliation, on May 8, President Talon imprudently decided to prohibit the loading of Nigerien oil via the Sèmè-Podji platform. To justify this blunder, the Beninese President pointed out that Niger maintains its borders closed, even though Porto-Novo has opened its borders after the lifting of economic sanctions.
It should be noted that the giant 2,000 km pipeline from Agadem in Niger to this Beninese port is financed by the Chinese company « China National Petroleum Corporation » (CNPC). Even the Nigerien state contributed in terms of financing to the realization of part of this project. In clear terms, Niger sold its oil to China in Agadez, i.e., at the source. The buyer, which is the Chinese company CNPC, has met all the conditions to export its merchandise. Therefore, the oil arriving at Sèmè-Podji no longer belongs to Niger but rather belongs to the Chinese.
President Talon continues to make the same mistakes. Firstly, the Beninese people are now paying for his lack of foresight in following ECOWAS in its delusions, firmly believing that they were harming the Nigerien people. Today, he repeats these actions by blocking Chinese ships from coming to collect their goods in the hope of bending the Nigerien authorities, disregarding the clauses of the agreement previously signed between the three states, and forgetting what benefits his country, Benin, would gain from it.
One remembers his speech in March 2023 during a visit by former President Bazoum to Benin. « If we have so many expectations and enthusiasm for the exploitation and export of Nigerien oil, it is because there is an interest for Benin. The passage of oil will generate revenue for the Beninese state in terms of royalties, and that is very important », the Beninese President stated. Let’s hope he comes to his senses for the good of his people.
