Bénin’s newly elected President Romuald Wadagni embarked on a brief but significant visit to Niger this Tuesday, June 2. This marks the first such high-level engagement since the military’s ascent to power in Niamey in July 2023, signaling a potential easing of the highly strained relations between the two neighboring West African nations. The military administration in Niamey has persistently kept its border with Bénin closed, alleging that its southern neighbor maintains excessive proximity to Paris and actively seeks to destabilize the region.
Upon his arrival, President Wadagni received a welcome from his counterpart, junta leader Abdourahamane Tiani. Following an initial diplomatic engagement in Nigeria the previous day, President Wadagni dedicated his second regional trip to Niger. His agenda with General Tiani was expected to prioritize discussions on reinvigorating security cooperation, a critical issue as both nations grapple with persistent jihadist violence.
He departed Niamey early Tuesday afternoon, with his next destination anticipated to be Burkina Faso.
The Béninese presidency, in an official statement, characterized this visit as integral to the “active neighborhood diplomacy” that President Wadagni aims to foster with all states bordering Bénin. Early signs of a potential thaw in relations were observed during Romuald Wadagni’s inauguration ceremony in Cotonou, an event attended by Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine.
Just last January, General Tiani had explicitly named Romuald Wadagni’s predecessor, Patrice Talon, as a “sponsor” of the jihadist groups responsible for an attack on Niamey’s airport. Cotonou has consistently refuted these serious allegations. Bénin itself has, for several years, faced a surge in deadly jihadist violence within its northern territories, which share a border with Niger. Conversely, suspicions have emerged regarding Niamey’s potential involvement in an attempted coup in Bénin in December 2025, although Cotonou has refrained from directly implicating its neighbor.
