Beninese President Romuald Wadagni and General Abdourahamane Tiani Tuesday signed a joint communiqué expressing their commitment to removing all obstacles to bilateral cooperation, including the reopening of their shared border.
The meeting, the first stop on a Sahelian tour by the new Beninese head of state, marks a turning point in relations that have deteriorated since the Nigerien coup of July 2023.
Just nine days after his inauguration, Benin’s new President Romuald Wadagni visited Niamey on the invitation of General Abdourahamane Tiani.
The two leaders concluded their talks with a nine-point joint communiqué, reflecting a shared desire to put bilateral tensions behind them.
They als held a private meeting, followed by a working session with their respective delegations.
This diplomacy conducted “in a climate of great cordiality,” covered several topics of common interest, from security challenges to sub-regional economic issues.
The joint document, signed in Niamey on June 2, 2026, enshrines their “shared commitment to revitalize bilateral cooperation, raising it to the level of their ambitions and the legitimate expectations of their respective peoples.”
Reopening of the border: a 15-day committee
A central point of the communiqué, the two presidents affirmed their commitment to removing all obstacles to their cooperation, “particularly the reopening of the Benin-Niger border,” which has been closed since the crisis of July 2023.
A committee of experts has been established for this purpose, with a 15-day deadline to submit its
report to the two heads of state. The two parties also agreed to relaunch the Niger-Beninese joint cooperation commission.
Joint security front
On the security front, Tiani and Wadagni reaffirmed their commitment to “join forces to combat the scourge of terrorism and banditry” plaguing the sub-region. This position aligns with the inaugural
address of the Beninese president, who declared: “In a sub-region facing the terrorist threat, we are compelled to work together.”
Reciprocal visit
Wadagni also invited General Tiani to pay an official visit to Benin, an invitation “gratefully accepted,” with the date to be set through diplomatic channels.
First stop on a tour of the Sahel
This visit to Niamey is part of a regional diplomatic tour. After Niger, the Beninese leader arrived in Ouagadougou this Tuesday, making the new Beninese president the first head of state in the sub-region to visit two successive member countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in the first days of his term.
The signal was given as early as the inauguration on May 24, which was attended by Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, as well as the foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, and Mali, Abdoulaye Diop.
Wadagni continues his regional tour in Togo, Ivory Coast, and Ghana.
AC/fss/as/APA