A row that has erupted between West African neighbors Benin and Niger reflects the lingering divisions that continue to rock the region since last year’s coup in Niamey. Fearing a threatened military intervention by the Economic Organization of West African States, or ECOWAS, in the immediate aftermath of the coup, Niger formed a mutual defense pact with Burkina Faso and Mali, both of which are also ruled by military regimes. That pact culminated in the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States, known by its French acronym AES, followed by the three states’ decision to withdraw from ECOWAS, which they reaffirmed at the AES’ first formal leaders’ summit last weekend.
But as the rift between Benin and Niger shows, any attempts to bifurcate into competing blocs will have significant impacts on such a deeply interconnected region.
When their threats of military intervention failed to reverse the Nigerien coup, the ECOWAS member states, including Benin, instead imposed sanctions on Niger in July 2023, in an attempt to force the military to return ousted President Mohamed Bazoum to power. These measures included a “no-fly zone,” border closures and the cessation of trade. Notably, the sanctions offered no exemptions for things such as food, electricity and petroleum products, which took a heavy toll on Niger’s economic and humanitarian conditions.