Benin Republic has summoned Niger's chargé d'affaires after Niger's military leader, Abdourahamane Tchiani, accused the country of supporting terrorism. Benin rejected these claims and reaffirmed its commitment to dialogue. Similar accusations were made against Nigeria, which both Nigeria and ECOWAS refuted as baseless.
Benin Republic has summoned the Nigerien chargé d’affaires following accusations from Niger's military leader, Abdourahamane Tchiani, who claimed that Benin was a base for terrorists threatening Niger's stability. Tchiani made these allegations during a televised address, asserting that neighboring countries were supporting terrorism. In response, Benin’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the claims, calling them unfounded. The ministry officially summoned Niger's diplomat to discuss the matter, with Benin's Foreign Minister Olushegun Bakari issuing a formal letter to the envoy.
The dispute echoes a similar situation involving Nigeria, which was also accused by Niger’s junta. Tchiani had alleged that France was involved in negotiating with Nigerian terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and further claimed that France made payments to President Bola Tinubu to establish a military base in Nigeria. Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) quickly denied these accusations, asserting that such claims were baseless and without merit.
