Tensions between Niger and Benin have reached a high point over the Nigerien oil issue. This followed the arrest of the Deputy General Director of WAPCO-Niger and four other members of the team by the Beninese security services. Niger accuses Benin of violating the bilateral agreement and threatens to close the initial crude oil post.
Beninese authorities arrested the Nigerien nationals, accusing them of having accessed the terminal of the Seme-Kpodji oil pipeline under false pretenses. Special prosecutor Mario Metonou said the investigation aimed to determine the real motivations of this group, with suspicions that two of the detainees are agents of the Nigerien military junta, citing a potential threat to the security of the Beninese state.
This incident marks a significant escalation in tensions between the two nations over the export of Nigerien oil via the port of Seme in Benin.
In response, the Nigerien authorities held a press briefing moderated by the Minister of Oil, Barké Bako Mahamane Moustapha, and the Minister of Justice, Alio Daouda. The Oil Minister described the chronology of events leading to the arrest. For him, WAPCO-Niger officials were on an official mission to supervise the loading of Nigerian crude oil intended for a Chinese tanker. He denounced the arrests as unjustified and threatened to close the original Koulele crude station in Agadem if the detainees were not released.
Violation of the Nigerien oil agreement
Justice Minister Alio Daouda condemned the arrest as a blatant violation of the bilateral agreement between Niger and Benin. He warned that Niger could seize the competent courts, in particular the arbitration court of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA), if a rapid solution was not found.
Tensions between the two countries have escalated since the July 2023 coup in Niger, which led to strict sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Benin’s blockade of Nigerian crude oil exports in May exacerbated the situation, with Benin demanding that the Nigerien junta reopen its border to Beninese goods and normalize relations. On May 15, Benin temporarily lifted the blockade and agreed to hold talks, but no lasting solution was found.
The current dispute over oil exports adds a new dimension to these already fragile relations, threatening to further escalate tensions between Niger and Benin.
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