Benin's foreign minister says the accusation by Niger is unfounded

Benin has rejected claims that it is cooperating with Western powers to harbor terrorists as part of efforts to destabilize neighboring Niger and the wider Sahel region, which has been grappling with a jihadist insurgency for more than a decade.

French broadcaster RFI on Monday quoted Beninese Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari as dismissing the accusations made by Niger's interim president, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, as "unfounded." 

"Benin is fighting terrorism on its soil and from neighboring countries, with determination and at the cost of heavy sacrifices. Attempting to associate our country with such practices is not only unacceptable, but also profoundly unfair to our defense and security forces and our entire people," Bakari stated.

On Saturday, Tchiani accused Benin and Nigeria of acting as logistical hubs for French-backed operatives allegedly plotting to destabilize Niger. He claimed that meetings involving Western powers and certain African partners had been held in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin, where weapons were being funneled to terrorist groups operating in the Sahel.

READ MORE: African state accuses Western powers of destabilization campaign

Tchiani also claimed that France had established covert "cells" in the region to conduct subversive operations, working in coordination with African allies - including Benin - to undermine the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

He cited these alleged threats as justification for keeping Niger's border with Benin closed, a measure imposed after the military coup in Niamey in July 2023.

Relations between the two countries deteriorated following the coup, after Benin enforced sanctions imposed by the West African regional bloc ECOWAS on Niger, including border closures. Although ECOWAS lifted the measures in February, Niamey and its allies - Bamako and Ouagadougou - have since withdrawn from the bloc, accusing it of imposing harsh penalties in response to regime changes in their respective countries.

Speaking in an interview with local broadcaster Bip Radio on Sunday, Benin's foreign minister called Niger a "brother country," noting that "it's sad" the relationship between the two neighbors has taken on an "informal character."

Bakari said that although Benin regretted having to close its border with Niger - now reopened at the Benin side - it took the decision in order to uphold its principles and fulfill regional obligations in response to unconstitutional changes of government.

"We fully respect Niger's sovereignty and its right to freely choose its partners. But in the same way, Benin will never allow its choices of cooperation and partnership, which fall exclusively within its national sovereignty, to be dictated," he said.