Niger Orders Chinese Oil Executives from Soraz, Wapco, and CNPC to Leave Within 48 Hours
Niger’s military junta has expelled the leadership of three Chinese oil companies—Soraz, Wapco, and CNPC—within 48 hours, asserting sovereignty over national resources amid a gasoline crisis. The junta accuses these firms of violating regulations and prioritizing exports over local needs, reflecting a broader trend among military governments in the region asserting control.
hassan benyoub 
Niamey, March 14, 2025 – Niger’s military junta has taken decisive action against foreign influence, ordering the leadership of three Chinese oil companies—Soraz, Wapco, and CNPC—to exit the country within 48 hours as of Thursday, March 13. The move underscores Niamey’s resolve to assert sovereignty over its resources, with authorities vowing that “all those, whether Western or Eastern, who work against the interests of the Nigerien people and violate state regulations will face firm and exemplary treatment.”
A Sovereign Stand Against Non-Compliance
The expulsion directive, issued Wednesday, targets the directors of the Zinder-based Soraz refinery (60% owned by China National Petroleum Corporation, CNPC), Wapco (operator of the Niger-Benin oil pipeline), and CNPC itself, which extracts crude from the Agadem oilfield. Sources close to the government, cited by Reuters and local media, confirmed the officials departed by Friday afternoon, meeting the 48-hour ultimatum. Posts on X from users like @Nath_Yamb and @Malibooknews hailed the decision as a patriotic defense of Nigerien interests, echoing the junta’s rhetoric since its July 2023 coup.
The junta accuses these firms of flouting Resolution No. 2024-34, enacted August 2024, which mandates foreign entities to prioritize Nigerien welfare in resource allocation. Specific grievances include stark pay disparities—Chinese executives reportedly earn three to four times more than local counterparts—and refusal to favor local suppliers, per pro-regime activist Ibrahim Bana quoted in Tamtaminfo. A separate incident last week saw Niger revoke the license of the Chinese-run Soluxe Hotel in Niamey for alleged discriminatory practices, amplifying tensions.
Fuel Crisis as Catalyst
The order coincides with an unprecedented gasoline shortage gripping Niger for weeks, blamed on the trio’s operations. Soraz, supplying state oil firm Sonidep, delivers only 23-25 fuel trucks daily against a national need of 38 (two million liters), per an EFE-cited Sonidep official. Drivers face endless queues with no guarantee of fuel, a crisis some attribute to deliberate underproduction by Soraz—allegedly prioritizing exports over local needs despite Niger’s 110,000-barrel-per-day crude output. The junta frames this as a betrayal of its “Nigerization” push, launched in February by Oil Minister Sahabi Oumarou to boost local staffing and revise wage gaps.
Broader Geopolitical Ripples
Niger’s hardline stance reflects a regional trend of military governments—also in Mali and Burkina Faso—reclaiming control from foreign powers, be they France (expelled in 2023) or now China. Beijing’s $4 billion-plus investment in Niger’s oil sector, including the Agadem fields and 2,000-kilometer pipeline to Benin’s Sèmè port, faces scrutiny as Niamey demands equitable returns. Security threats, like the March 11 pipeline explosion in Dosso and February’s kidnapping of Chinese workers near Agadem, further complicate the partnership, though recent defense pacts with Soraz and Wapco signal intent to safeguard operations.
Posts on X, like @moloubakotty’s “How not to love these patriots defending African interests?” capture public support, but the abrupt expulsions risk souring ties with China, a key economic ally. Neither the junta nor the companies have officially commented, leaving the next steps uncertain as Niger navigates its sovereign path amid a volatile Sahel landscape.
