The newly elected President of Benin, Romuald Wadagni, made a brief but significant visit to Niger on Tuesday, June 2, marking his first encounter with the military leadership in Niamey since the coup in July 2023. This meeting signals a potential thaw in the strained relations between the two neighboring countries, which have been aggravated by accusations and closed borders.
Upon arrival, President Wadagni was greeted by his counterpart, General Abdourahamane Tiani, the leader of Niger’s military junta. Following a previous stop in Nigeria the day before, Wadagni’s second diplomatic mission focused on Niger, where discussions with General Tiani centered on reviving security cooperation. Both nations face persistent threats from jihadist violence along their shared borders.
After concluding his talks in the afternoon, President Wadagni departed Niamey en route to Burkina Faso, continuing his regional diplomatic tour.
According to a statement from Benin’s presidency, this visit reflects the active neighborhood diplomacy that President Wadagni aims to strengthen with all neighboring states. Hints of reconciliation emerged earlier during his inauguration in Cotonou, where Niger’s Prime Minister, Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, was present, further signaling a shift toward dialogue.
A diplomatic thaw was also evident in late January when Prime Minister Zeine attended President Wadagni’s swearing-in ceremony. This gesture followed a period of heightened tensions, including Niger’s accusations—later denied by Benin—that President Patrice Talon’s administration had supported jihadist attacks on Niamey’s airport. While Benin has faced its own surge in deadly jihadist violence in the northern regions bordering Niger, suspicions of Niger’s involvement in a failed coup attempt in Benin in December 2023 have also lingered, though no direct accusations have been made.
