Niger cancels military pact with Benin for aiding France deployment of troops via its soil

By OUR REPORTER, Abuja

The military regime in Republic of Niger has announced the termination of a military cooperation agreement with Republic of Benin, accusing the West African neighbour of supporting an imminent cross-border invasion of its country by France military.

In a statement on Tuesday, Niamey’s new rulers claimed the Beninoise government had authorised the deployment of troops, “mercenaries, and war materials in the perspective of an aggression desired by France” and “certain” countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) against Niger.

The regime’s new decision was coming 47 days after President Patrice Talon of Benin Republic visited Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, capital of Nigeria, another Niger’s neighbour for the purpose of meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on matter concerning the Republic now governed by military system of government.

Talon, who arrived around 4:43pm on WednesdayJuly 26, 2023, visited Abuja a second time in nine days, the first being on July 18 along with two other counterparts; Mohamed Bazoum (before he was deposed as President) of Niger and Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau, for a Troika+ meeting.

The July 26 visit was also Talon’s third meeting Tinubu since he assumed office as Nigeria’s President on Monday May 29, having met him in Paris, France, at the end of the Summit on New Global Financing Pact.

The Benin Leader’s second meeting with Tinubu in Abuja that Wednesday July 26 meeting came amid news from Niamey, the capital of Niger Republic, that President Bazoum with whom he visited only nines before, had been held hostage by elements within his Presidential Guards.

It is no longer news that ECOWAS had threatened a military intervention against Niger, with backing from France, in response to the July 26 coup that removed President Mohamed Bazoum from power.

General Abdourahamane Tchiani, Niger’s Military Head of State, had defied the regional authority’s demand that Bazoum be reinstated, instead declaring a three-year transition period.

The military government has repeatedly accused France of plotting an armed attack in Niger to restore the ousted president, whom the French government calls the African country’s only “legitimate” leader.

Colonel Amadou Abdramane, spokesman for the government in Niamey, said in a statement on Saturday that Paris was continuing to deploy troops to several ECOWAS countries in preparation for an intervention in Niger.

The regime claimed that French authorities had deployed two military helicopters and 40 armoured vehicles in Benin.

The military rulers said on Tuesday that the Beninoise government’s decision to support “aggression” against Niger while it deals with a difficult “security, political, and economic situation,” rather than opposing an intervention, violates the military pact signed in July last year.

The military leadership stated that as a result, Niamey had decided to end the pact after having stated its desire to avoid escalation and repeatedly calling for compliance with the obligations of the agreement.

“Diplomatic correspondence will be sent to the Beninoise authorities, in accordance with the relevant procedure,” the statement added.

Findings showed that Benin may have offered to shoulder the responsibility of facilitating the use of force after President Tinubu was faced with vehement opposition, especially from Northern Nigeria in his suspected Western induced decision to use force in resolving the political stalemate in Niger.

A source, analysing the Benin angle to the military operation, saw a conspiracy of same Tinubu-led ECOWAS shifting the plan from looking like Abuja thing to a new plan with the face of France.

But the plan, also, was said to have failed because Niger’s intelligence and that of its allies nipped the plot as they, not only caught Port Novo in the act but also, cut military ties with it sensing a readiness on the side of Niamey to go for the worst any time any external aggression is sighted or sensed from any angle.