Niger’s military junta has announced the termination of military cooperation with its neighbour, Benin Republic. This decision is in protest of Benin Republic’s support for the proposed military intervention by a West African force, should diplomacy fail to reinstate the democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum who was ousted in the July 26 coup.
“Benin has authorized the deployment of troops and military equipment as part of preparations for an intervention,” junta spokesman Amadou Abdramane said in a statement on public broadcast channel, Tele Sahel, on Tuesday.
Abdramane added that diplomatic notice will be sent to Benin to that effect. The agreement was signed last year. The Beninois authorities have not issued a response yet.
With this development, it is uncertain what would be the fate of the military arrangement with Nigeria, along with Tchad and Cameroon, known as the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) set up to fight the Islamist insurgency within the four countries.
The junta had, last month, revoked a number of military agreements with France and ordered the 1,500 French troops stationed in Niger to leave, along with terminating the diplomatic immunity of the French Ambassador, Sylvain Itte.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron’s continued refusal to recognise the military junta and its support for all efforts by the ECOWAS to reinstate Bazoum has heightened tensions between both countries.
