Benin–Burkina Faso relations are the bilateral diplomatic relations between Benin and Burkina Faso. The two countries share a state border measuring 386 km in length.
History
In the second half of the 19th century, France began establishing small trading posts along the coast of West Africa. In 1851, a friendship treaty was signed between France and the Kingdom of Dahomey, in what is now southern Benin, followed by the establishment of a protectorate in Porto-Novo in 1863. French Dahomey was officially proclaimed in 1894 and later, in 1899, became part of the larger colony of French West Africa.
In the 1880s, European powers engaged in intense competition for territories in Africa, a process known as the "Scramble for Africa," which culminated in the Berlin Conference of 1884, where participating European nations agreed on territorial claims and future rules of engagement. As a result, France gained control over the upper Niger River valley (approximately the territory of modern Mali and Niger) and began occupying what is now Mali (then French Sudan) and Burkina Faso (then French Upper Volta) during the 1880s and 1890s. This region was called Upper Senegal and Niger, and borders were established between this colony and Dahomey between 1901 and 1914. The colony of Upper Volta (modern Burkina Faso) was created in March 1919, abolished in 1932 with its territory divided between Niger and Ivory Coast, and later re-established in 1947 with its former boundaries. The border between Dahomey and Upper Volta was formally confirmed by a French decree on 27 October 1938.
As the decolonization movement gained momentum after World War II, France gradually granted more political rights and representation to its African territories, leading to broad internal autonomy for each colony in 1958 under the French Community. Dahomey declared full independence on 1 August 1960, followed shortly after by Upper Volta on 5 August, turning their shared border into an international boundary between two sovereign states.
Sections of the border remained disputed in some areas. Several incidents occurred in the contested Koalu and Niorgu regions, causing tension in the 2000s. In May 2009, the two countries signed an agreement establishing a small neutral zone in the area until a final resolution could be reached by the International Court of Justice.
In recent years, the border region has been affected by ongoing Islamist insurgencies in the Sahel, mainly on the Burkinabe side. In May 2019, two French tourists traveling in Pendjari National Park were kidnapped, and their Beninese guide was killed. Governments generally advise against travel to the border region between Benin and Burkina Faso.
Benin and Burkina Faso are both members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). A border dispute remains over the delimitation near the town of Koualou/Kuru.
See also
- Foreign relations of Benin
- Foreign relations of Burkina Faso
- Benin–Burkina Faso border
References
Burkina Faso Category:Bilateral relations of Burkina Faso
Benin–Niger relations are the bilateral diplomatic relations between Benin and Niger. The two countries share a state border measuring 277 km in length.
History
In the 1880s, European powers were engaged in intense competition for territories in Africa. The culmination of these events was the Berlin Conference of 1884, at which the interested European states agreed on their territorial claims and the rules for conducting military operations. As a result, France gained control over the upper Niger River valley, roughly corresponding to the territories of present-day Mali and Niger. Beginning in 1893, France started to annex the territory of modern-day Benin, later naming it Dahomey. In 1900, the territory covering present-day Niger was conquered by the French. Both territories were incorporated into French West Africa. The Niger and Mékrou River were established as forming the boundary between Niger and Dahomey under the French statute of 27 October 1938.
As the decolonization movement grew in the period following the end of World War II, France gradually granted greater political rights and authority to its African colonies, leading to the establishment of broad internal autonomy for each colony in 1958 within the framework of the French Community. In August 1960, both Niger and the Republic of Dahomey (renamed Benin in 1975) gained full independence, and their shared border became an international boundary between two sovereign states.
Since independence, a number of disputes arose over the precise ownership of 24 riverine islands, most notably Lété Island, none of which were covered by colonial-era boundary agreements. Both states referred the case to the International Court of Justice in 2001, which issued a ruling in 2005 awarding 16 islands to Niger and 9 to Benin.
In September 2023, Niger terminated the military cooperation agreement concluded with Benin in 2022, citing Benin's failure to comply with the terms of the agreement.
Trade
In 2020, Benin's exports to Niger amounted to US$38.97 million. Exported goods included salt; sulfur; earth, stone, gypsum, lime, and cement; sugar and confectionery; metallurgical products; articles of iron or steel; animal feed; beverages, spirits, and vinegar; fertilizers; and milling products, malt, and starches.
In the same year, Niger's exports to Benin totaled US$3.41 million. These exports consisted of plastics; machinery and boilers; vegetables, roots, and tubers; vehicles; mineral fuels and oils; miscellaneous food products; electrical equipment; cereals; flour and starch; dairy products; and coffee, tea, maté, and spices.
See also
- Foreign relations of Benin
- Foreign relations of Niger
- Benin–Niger border
References
Niger Category:Bilateral relations of Niger
Azerbaijan–Tajikistan relations are the bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Tajikistan in political, economic, and other spheres. Both countries are members of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Diplomatic relations
Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Tajikistan were established on 29 May 1992. Azerbaijan opened its embassy in Dushanbe on 22 September 2007, while Tajikistan's embassy in Baku has been operational since 23 March 2008.
Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev made an official visit to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, in March 2007. In August of the same year, the president of Tajikistan visited Baku. During these visits, several agreements and treaties were signed. On 15 March 2007, the two countries signed an agreement on friendship and cooperation..
In the Azerbaijani parliament, a working group on bilateral cooperation with Tajikistan is active, led by Aydin Mirzazade. Similarly, the Tajik parliament has a working group dedicated to relations with Azerbaijan.
To date, 57 agreements have been signed between the two countries.
Economic cooperation
In 2010, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Tajikistan amounted to USD 9.5 million. The main areas of economic cooperation include the agro-industrial sector, non-ferrous metallurgy, light industry, and transportation. A significant portion of the trade volume consists of products from the Tajik Aluminum Company (TALCO).
See also
- Foreign relations of Azerbaijan
- Foreign relations of Tajikistan
References
External links
- Embassy of Azerbaijan in Tajikistan – Official Website
- Embassy of Tajikistan in Azerbaijan – Official Website
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan on Relations with Azerbaijan
- Bilateral Relations – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Official Website)
Tajikistan Category:Bilateral relations of Tajikistan
Angola–Zambia relations are the bilateral diplomatic relations between Angola and Zambia. The two countries share a state border measuring 1,065 km in length.
History
In 1976, the Zambian Defence Force drove UNITA rebels out of the western part of the country. The Zambian government supported the MPLA-PT forces in the Angolan Civil War, while at the same time not preventing financial and logistical support for UNITA from Zambian citizens. During the 1980s, Lusaka's ambiguous stance toward Angola was partly due to the possibility that UNITA rebels could come to power in Luanda. By the mid-1980s, the flow of refugees from Angola into Zambia and Zaire had reached several hundred thousand, prompting the governments of these countries to actively seek ways to end the civil war in their neighbor. With the involvement of the international community, Zambia and Zaire modernized the Benguela Railway, which passes through Angolan territory.
In the 2000s, relations between Angola and Zambia normalized as the intensity of armed conflict in the civil war decreased. The Zambian government emphasized its neutrality in the conflict and highlighted the need for a peace agreement between the Angolan government and the rebels to end the civil war. In 2015, Zambian president Edgar Lungu addressed the Angolan parliament at the invitation of the government, demonstrating further strengthening of ties between the two countries.
See also
- Foreign relations of Angola
- Foreign relations of Zambia
- Angola–Zambia border
References
Zambia Category:Bilateral relations of Zambia