Benin’s former presidents are in Niamey to try to ease tensions with neighbouring Niger.
The president of Niger’s transitional government, Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tiani, met former Beninese presidents Nicéphore Soglo and Boni Yayi in Niamey on Tuesday 25 June.
The Niger Press Agency (ANP), which provided the information, reported that the discussions focused on the current situation between Niger and Benin regarding the ferrying of Nigerien crude oil to the international market.
The talks took place in the presence of Niger’s interim prime minister, Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, Brigadier General Mohamed Toumba, Minister of State, Minister of the Interior, and Dr Soumana Boubacar, Minister and Director of the Private Office of the President of the Republic.
The former presidents of Benin have been in Niamey since Monday 24 June to mediate in the crisis between Niamey and Cotonou.
At the beginning of June, a team of five WAPCO-Niger agents were arrested and detained by the Beninese authorities while on an official mission to assist with the loading of the tanker that was to transport Niger’s crude oil to the international market. They were tried and convicted.
On hearing of their arrest, Niger closed its valves and demanded that Benin respect the agreement signed by the two countries as part of the system for transporting hydrocarbons by pipeline.
Since then, Niamey has been considering using the Chadian pipeline to export its oil.
DS/te/lb/as/APA