Niger planned on China-backed oil pipeline -- then troubles began

FILE - A Chinese honor guard stands near a portrait of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong on Tiananmen Gate near Tiananmen Square before a welcome ceremony for Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, May 28, 2019. Disputes, attacks imperil Niger pipeline

A China-backed pipeline that would make Niger an oil-exporting country is being threatened by an internal security crisis and a diplomatic dispute with neighboring Benin, both a result of last year's coup that toppled the West African nation's democratic government.