In a ruling that may help to dial back tensions, a Benin court on Monday imposed 18-month suspended prison sentences on three Nigerien citizens at the center of a diplomatic spat between the West African nations, which have been locked in a war of words in recent days.
The once-cordial ties between Benin and Niger have given way to animosity in the aftermath of President Mohammed Bazoum’s ouster, with the Seme-Kpodji port – a critical export hub for Niger’s oil – morphing into a flashpoint in the strained relations between the two nations.
Five Nigerien individuals were taken into custody at the Seme-Kpodji port earlier this month, accused of illegally trespassing on the premises, a development that has added fuel to the already strained relations between Benin and Niger.
A judicial source disclosed that Benin’s CRIET court sentenced three Nigeriens to 18-month suspended prison terms on Monday, following their arrest at the Seme-Kpodji port on suspicion of economic offenses.
Read also: Beninese Bricklayer In Court For Swindling Anambra Orphan
Moumouni Hadiza Ibra, a high-ranking executive at Wapco-Niger, a subsidiary of a Chinese conglomerate overseeing a strategic pipeline connecting Niger to Benin’s coastal region, was taken into custody alongside two associates, leading to their eventual sentencing.
Wapco has not responded to emails seeking a response.
The court on Monday reclassified the charges as “usurpation of title and use of falsified computer data”.
As reported by a journalist in the courtroom, the legal representatives for the three defendants resolutely denied all allegations, asserting their clients’ innocence and pleading not guilty.
Under regional sanctions imposed on Niger after last year’s coup, Benin closed the border, but it has since reopened its side of the frontier. Niger’s military rulers have refused to reopen their side.
Beninese President Patrice Talon had long conditioned the start of loading of Nigerien oil from Benin’s port on the reopening of the border.
According to Niamey, the arrested team were on a mission to Benin to oversee the loading of oil.
Niger’s military government has reacted with outrage, labeling the arrests “a blatant kidnapping” and warning that it would “leave no stone unturned” in its quest to secure the swift and unconditional release of its nationals, potentially heightening tensions in the region.
Niger’s military regime wasted no time in responding, closing the valves on the strategic oil pipeline just 24 hours after the arrests, as reported by Niger’s public television network.
