NIAMEY, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerien transitional authorities have announced the reopening of the land borders with Nigeria starting at 00:00 Friday.
According to observers, the decision will allow the official resumption of trade along the 1,500-km border shared by the two countries, which had been closed since July 30, 2023, following the coup d'etat by the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) on July 26.
The Nigerien Ministry of Interior, in a radio message, informed the governors of the border regions of "the reopening of our land border with the Federal Republic of Nigeria this Friday, March 22, 2024, from zero hours," asking them to "take all necessary measures to strengthen the control system upon entry and exit at the border crossings."
On March 13, Nigeria reopened its land and air borders with Niger and lifted earlier imposed sanctions against that country, in compliance with the decisions of the Authority of the Heads of State and Government of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at its extraordinary summit on Feb. 24 in Abuja, the Nigerian capital.
At the extraordinary summit, the West African leaders agreed to lift economic sanctions against Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali. ■