Former lawmaker Gildas Agonkan, who was recalled to Cotonou for consultations, will not return to his post as Benin’s ambassador to Niger.
This was confirmed by Benin’s Foreign Minister, Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, during an appearance on the radio program Le Grand Format on Bip Radio this Sunday.
Appointed in June 2023, Agonkan formally presented copies of his credentials on August 6, 2024. However, only a few months into his mission, he was recalled by the Beninese government following controversial remarks made during a public appearance in Gaya on February 1, 2025. Speaking in the Nigerien town, the ambassador publicly asked “forgiveness from the Nigerien people” on behalf of Benin—an act seen as out of step with his government’s official stance amid the diplomatic rift with Niamey.
Benin’s authorities quickly disavowed the remarks and summoned Agonkan back to Cotonou for “consultations.” His apology, seen as an unauthorized gesture of reconciliation, came in the context of strained relations between Benin and Niger following the 2023 coup that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum.
On Sunday, June 1, Foreign Minister Bakari clarified that Gildas Agonkan would not be returning to his post. “His replacement as ambassador to Niger will be announced soon,” he stated, effectively signaling that the Agonkan chapter has been closed in Benin’s diplomatic corps following what the government views as a communication misstep.