Le Bénin et le Niger expulsent mutuellement des diplomates
Relations have been icy since a military junta seized power in Niger in July 2023.
The Nigerien regime pursues a sovereignist and anti-imperialist policy and regularly accuses its neighbor, which is close to the West, of wanting to destabilize it, which Cotonou denies.
Relations deteriorated further after a foiled coup attempt in Benin in early December.
Officially, the Cotonou government has not specifically accused Niger, but suspicions persist regarding Niamey's influence in this failed coup.
This week, Benin expelled an intelligence officer and a police officer stationed at the Niger embassy in Cotonou, a Beninese diplomatic source indicated, without specifying the reason for this expulsion.
In retaliation, Niger, in a note dated Thursday, declared the first counselor of the Benin embassy in Niamey "persona non grata", giving him 48 hours to leave the territory, "on the principle of reciprocity".
Again, the reasons were not specified.
The coup of December 7 in Benin was thwarted the same day in Cotonou, notably by the resistance of the Beninese army, subsequently supported by neighbouring Nigeria and France.
A deluge of fake news supporting the coup plotters had also been circulating on Sahelian social media during the day of December 7.
Niger is allied with Burkina Faso and Mali, its two neighbors also ruled by juntas, with whom it slammed the door on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to form a confederation, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
The three countries, now close to Russia, share an anti-imperialist and sovereignist vision and strongly criticize the coastal West African countries that have remained close to France, such as Benin or Ivory Coast.
AFP
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'' lui laissant 48h pour quitter le territoire, "par principe de réciprocité". Là encore, les raisons n'ont pas été précisées. '''
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