Niger: Crisis between Cotonou and Niamey, why has the well-known ECOWAS never spoken out?
Since the outbreak of disputes between Benin and Niger, ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) has only made one official statement, and that was merely to remind Benin’s President Patrice Talon to stay within limits when he was overstepping. If things have reached this point, it’s the fault of ECOWAS, which, in its attempt to restore the controversial Mohammed Bazoun to power, has taken steps that could destabilize the entire West African sub-region, if not for the opposition from Mali, Burkina Faso, and other countries like Togo.
In 2019, at the conclusion of the tripartite agreement between Benin, Niger, and the Chinese company WAPCO, all three parties were pleased: Benin for securing the pipeline route through its territory and the construction of the port, over Nigeria and Chad, who were in competition. The investments for these infrastructures were the largest in the country since its independence, generating 3,000 jobs for construction and 500 for operations. The transit fees and tax revenues for Benin are estimated to be over 300 billion CFA francs (about 15 billion per year) for the first 20 years of the infrastructure’s operation.
On the Niger side, oil was expected to generate a quarter of the GDP and provide half of the tax revenues. It was a breath of economic fresh air at a time when uranium prices were plummeting.
Apparently, Benin never wanted to deal with the CNSP (National Council for the Salvation of the People) regarding oil, unless it was with the terrorist leader Mohammed Bazoun, because it turned out that apart from what was officially announced, there were other undisclosed deals. What ECOWAS, in its current “neo-colonized” version, couldn’t achieve, Benin, Niger’s immediate neighbor, wants to accomplish. This means that Benin’s position is ECOWAS’s position; if Benin speaks, it’s ECOWAS speaking.
Today, with the release of the three other Nigeriens kidnapped by Beninese authorities, the situation is still not resolved and won’t be as long as France maintains its military base in northern Benin, near the Niger border.
