Published On 4/6/2026
Benin’s new president, Romuald Ouadagni, began his first foreign movements with two visits to Niger and Burkina Faso, days after assuming office on May 24, in a move that the Beninese presidency said was part of “active neighborhood diplomacy” toward the countries neighboring his country, which the new president intends to follow. His first foreign stop was in Nigeria on Monday, before heading to Niamey and then Ouagadougou the next day.
Niger: Committee to remove obstacles
According to a joint statement issued in Niamey, Ouadagni’s visit to Niger came at the invitation of the head of the military junta, General Abderrahmane Tiani, and the two presidents held a bilateral meeting, followed by an expanded working session in the presence of the delegations of the two countries. The statement stated that the two presidents addressed the terrorist threat in the Sahel and West Africa, and affirmed their commitment to “unite their forces to combat the scourge of terrorism and banditry that has been striking the region for years.”
The statement added that the two presidents agreed to increase exchange in the political, economic, scientific and cultural fields, and expressed their commitment to work to “remove all obstacles to enhancing cooperation between the two countries, especially reopening the border between Benin and Niger.” He pointed out the formation of a committee of experts to identify and remove these obstacles, which has 15 days to submit its report to the two presidents.
Niger had closed its borders with Benin after accusing it of harboring “French bases” aimed at destabilizing it, as part of the Niamey authorities’ rupture with Paris since the 2023 coup. The joint statement concluded with Ouadagni inviting his Nigerian counterpart to visit Benin, and Tiani accepted the invitation, provided that its date was set through diplomatic channels.
Burkina Faso: Cotonou Port and Security
In Ouagadougou, Ouadagni held a working session at the Cossiam Palace with the President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré. A joint statement, reported by the Burkina Faso presidency, described the visit as a “decisive step in reviving bilateral relations,” stressing a “common will to strengthen a partnership based on trust and solidarity.”
The statement stated that the two sides stressed the need to strengthen cooperation in confronting terrorism, cross-border crime and violent extremism. On the economic level, the two presidents welcomed the prospects for cooperation in trade, industry, vocational training, infrastructure and logistics, while highlighting “the strategic role of the port of Cotonou in supplying Burkina Faso,” and they agreed to accelerate the holding of the fifth session of the Grand Joint Committee for Cooperation.
Niger and Burkina Faso, along with Mali, formed the “Coalition of Sahel States”, after the three countries withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in early 2024, and in July of the same year they signed a confederation agreement under which they established this alliance.
During his inauguration ceremony, Ouadagni pledged to confront escalating security threats and work to transform economic growth into tangible improvements.
