Niger shares a border of about 1,500 kilometers with Nigeria. The consequences of the coup on July 26 directly affect this vast border region where populations have had familial, social, or economic ties for centuries. Cyril Payen and Catherine Norris Trent, special correspondents for France 24, were able to visit this northwestern region of Nigeria, which is plagued by gangs.
A constant stream of people shuttle between Niger and Nigeria. The Nigerien town of Birni N’Konni, in the Tahoua region, is now cut off from the world due to the closure of the borders. On the Nigerian side, daily life is filled with improvisation since the coup on July 26. Merchants resort to clandestine bush paths. It’s a return to old methods.
“Our only problem is the security forces,” complains a mule driver. “We have to pay them to let us pass.” And the man continues, “people will die if this border remains closed. People will die! There are no jobs! And from morning till night… I don’t eat…”
There are also those who cannot pass. Hundreds of truck drivers from central Nigeria are stuck here. With no other option but to wait. “We have to deliver coal to a factory in Niger.” In vain. Like him, many other truck drivers wait, with their vehicles filled with goods, on both sides of the border. A report by Cyril Payen and Catherine Norris Trent.