Why Beijing’s US$4.5 billion Niger-Benin oil pipeline is being attacked by rebels

February 27, 2026byVerified News Online

AdvertisementChina-Africa relations China DiplomacyWhy Beijing’s US$4.5 billion Niger-Benin oil pipeline is being attacked by rebels

Chinese nationals warned to avoid high-risk areas after infrastructure becomes a primary target for rebels seeking to halt military junta

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Chinese nationals in Niger have been put on high alert after an oil pipeline, which is operated by a Chinese company and stretches from Koulele in Niger to the port of Seme in Benin, was attacked by rebels. Photo: X

Jevans NyabiagePublished: 6:30pm, 27 Feb 2026China has placed its nationals on high alert following a series of rebel attacks targeting the US$4.5 billion Niger-Benin oil pipeline and an Islamic State raid on the Nigerien capital’s international airport on January 29.On Monday, the Chinese embassy in Niamey urged citizens to avoid high-risk areas and instructed firms to implement emergency response plans as insurgent groups increasingly target Chinese-managed infrastructure.

The warning follows recent attacks on the pipeline and a predawn assault on Air Base 101 and Niamey International Airport by Islamic State militants, who damaged several aircraft before being repelled with assistance from Russia’s Africa Corps.

The 1,980km (1,230-mile) pipeline to transport oil from landlocked Niger’s Agadem oilfields to Seme, an Atlantic port in Benin and operated by China’s CNPC, has become a major target for rebels seeking to choke off the military junta’s key revenue source.

While ambassador Lu Guijun pledged Beijing’s utmost support to safeguard “overseas compatriots”, the escalating violence is severely testing China’s traditional policy of non-interference in the face of mounting strategic and financial risks.

China finds itself in the dilemma of either changing its non-interference diplomatic policy to safeguard its massive energy investments or risking a withdrawal from a costly project after years of investment.

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