A week after president Bola Ahmed Tinubu has lift all sanction slammed on Niger Republic by the Economic Community Of West African States, ECOWAS, the Niger Republic has reopened its border yesterday with Nigeria in the regions of Diffa, Tahoua, Maradi and Dosso. The ECOAWAS sanction that led to closure of all border between the two neighbours followed the coup d’état of July 26, 2023 that was lead by Abdoulrahman Tchiani who toppled the government of Mohammed Bazoum, the democratically elected president.
Through a radio message broadcast yesterday as followed on social networks, the Nigerien Interior Ministry instructed the governors of the affected border regions to reauthorize the reopening at exactly 12:00 midnight.
The ministry also directed the affected governors to ensure all measures of controls and security be deployed along the 1,500 kilometres stretch land demarcation.
Recall, president Tinubu ordered that Nigeria’s border be opened weeks ago after approval by ECOWAS to lift sanctions during a summit in Abuja, however, Niger did not immediately reciprocate the gesture until yesterday.
However, the border of the uranium-rich nation to its neighbour Benin Republic is still closed on the Niger side despite swift implementation of the ECOWAS directive by Beninese authorities.
Meanwhile, the Niger transitional authorities had cited security reasons as basis for not reopening the border with the southern neighbours as instructed by the ECOWAS.
