Thousands of trucks stranded at Benin-Niger border as political deadlock stalls trade

Since the July 2023 coup in Niger, trucks hauling goods from Benin’s Cotonou port have been forced to park on the dusty road to Malanville, forming a kilometer-long outdoor depot. The ECOWAS bloc imposed a full border shutdown, which Benin obeyed, but the blockade was officially lifted in early 2024. Niger’s military ruler, Abdourahamane Tiani, refused to reopen the crossing, citing one outlet security and alleging that French forces operate covertly in northern Benin.

Drivers endure extreme heat, lack of drinking water and medical services, and some have died from malaria; perishable cargo such as onions, beans and rice is rotting, driving up food prices in Ghana and Nigeria. More than 7,300 tonnes of emergency food aid from the World Food Programme remain stuck outside the border. The dispute also threatens the China-backed Niger-Benin oil pipeline and has spurred illicit river smuggling, while alternative routes through Togo and Burkina Faso add costly detours and expose convoys to militant attacks. Recent diplomatic talks between Benin’s President Romuald Wadagni and Tiani’s junta hint at a possible phased reopening, but security guarantees are still demanded.