Benin detains three Nigeriens amid escalating diplomatic tensions

A Benin court has jailed three Nigeriens who were detained last week at a port, judicial sources said on Friday, as diplomatic tensions deepen between the two West African neighbours.

Ties between Benin and Niger have been strained since last year’s coup that ousted Nigerien President Mohammed Bazoum, and Benin’s port of Seme-Kpodji, which exports Niger’s oil, is a flashpoint.

Five Nigeriens were arrested last week at Seme-Kpodji, accused of entering the port illegally.

Three of the five, including the deputy general director of the oil company Wapco-Niger, were jailed on Thursday after appearing before a judge, several judicial sources told AFP.

Their trial is set to begin on Monday June 17.

“Two of them were released,” one of the judicial sources said.

Their lawyer did not respond to several calls from AFP.

Under regional sanctions imposed on Niger after the coup, Benin closed the border, but has since reopened it. Niger’s military rulers have refused to reopen their side.

Benin also announced on national television last week that it was lifting a “blockade” on Nigerien oil.

Beninese President Patrice Talon had long conditioned the start of loading of Nigerien oil on the reopening of the border.

The efforts of Chinese company Wapco, which manages the pipeline, have never been successful.

Beninese authorities say at least two of the five arrested on June 5 were not employees of Wapco-Niger but “Nigerian agents”, who entered the site with fake badges.

According to Niamey, the team was on a mission to Benin to oversee the loading of oil.

The military regime in Niger described the arrests as a “kidnapping” and said it was ready to “take all measures” to have them released “unconditionally”.

The day after their arrest, the military regime in Niamey closed the valves of the oil pipeline, Nigerien public television announced Thursday.

Niger’s military rulers accuse Benin of harbouring “French bases” in its north to “train terrorists” to destabilise Niamey, accusations which both France and Benin have dismissed.