Diplomacy: “Talon has left, but he wasn’t the real problem,” according to Niger’s minister Toumba Mahamadou
In an interview given to RTN and broadcast by Wadata Radio Niamey, Niger’s Minister of State in charge of the Interior, Toumba Mamadou, spoke about the state of relations between Niger and Benin, a few days after Romuald Wadagni’s election to succeed Patrice Talon.
Questioned about the future of bilateral cooperation after Patrice Talon’s departure, the brigadier general chose to shift the debate. For him, the recent frictions do not stem from a single man, but from a broader system.
“Talon is gone, but he wasn’t the real problem. The real problem is always Emmanuel Macron,” he stated, denouncing what he describes as a persistent influence of Paris in the Sahel’s security balances.
According to Toumba Mamadou, the former Beninese president would have been involuntarily enlisted in a French strategy aimed at maintaining indirect pressure on Niamey. He mentions in particular the use of Benin’s territory as a platform for military redeployment, about 150 kilometers by air, after the withdrawal of French forces from Niger.
The regime change in Cotonou nevertheless opens a new diplomatic phase. “We are awaiting clear signs of goodwill,” he said, implying that the hand remains extended but under conditions.
The Nigerien minister now calls on the new Beninese authorities to remove any ambiguity. He asks them to state plainly that they do not serve any foreign agenda and that they do not facilitate the presence of external forces likely to threaten neighboring states.
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