Niger signs cooperation agreement with eastern Libya's Haftar
Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine led a delegation to Benghazi, marking a rapprochement with the eastern administration.
Niger has signed a memorandum of understanding with Khalifa Haftar, the military commander who controls eastern Libya, to strengthen bilateral relations and expand cooperation in "various fields".
The agreement was concluded on Sunday in Benghazi, the de facto capital of the east, during a visit by Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, who was accompanied by political and military officials.
Niger shares a border of more than 340 kilometres with Libya, which has been divided since 2014 between the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east. The visit marks a rapprochement with Benghazi, although Niamey maintains relations with both authorities.
The border region has seen periodic attacks on Haftar's forces, and in October the eastern commander's intervention secured the release of two European women kidnapped in Niger. Separately, Turkey, which once backed Tripoli but has since warmed to the east, has been hosting talks on reunifying Libya's military institutions.