Niger Republic has reopened its borders with Nigeria in the regions of Diffa, Tahoua, Maradi, and Dosso. The land border closure between the two countries, which was prompted by a coup d’état on July 26 and subsequent sanctions by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has now been lifted.
The Nigerien Ministry of Interior issued instructions to the governors of these border regions on Thursday to facilitate the reopening at exactly 12:00 midnight through a radio message broadcast on social networks. Additionally, the ministry has instructed the governors to bolster controls and security measures along the 1,500-kilometer stretch of the land boundary.
While Nigeria had already reopened its borders weeks ago following the lifting of ECOWAS sanctions, Niger had not reciprocated the action until now. However, the border with Benin, a country rich in uranium, remains closed on the Niger side despite Beninese authorities promptly implementing the ECOWAS directive.
The transitional authorities in Niger had previously cited security concerns as the reason for not reopening the border with their southern neighbors.
