Niger’s military government has publicly accused France, Benin, and Ivory Coast of orchestrating an assault on a military installation at Niamey’s international airport, according to statements made on state television Thursday. General Abdourahamane Tiani, who chairs the ruling junta following the July 2023 coup, specifically named French President Emmanuel Macron and his Ivorian and Beninese counterparts as responsible parties. The government provided no verifiable evidence to substantiate these serious allegations, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The incident reportedly involved heavy gunfire and explosions near the Diori Hamani International Airport, located approximately six miles from the presidential palace. Niger’s Defence Minister Salifou Modi stated the engagement lasted about 30 minutes before security forces mounted an effective air and ground counter-response. Official reports confirmed that four military personnel sustained injuries while twenty attackers were neutralized during the confrontation.
Crucially, General Tiani used the occasion to publicly confirm Niger’s deepening security ties with Moscow, specifically thanking unnamed Russian personnel stationed at the base for repelling the assault. This acknowledgement underscores Niamey’s pivot away from traditional Western security partnerships toward military support offered by Russia, often linked to counter-insurgency operations against Islamist groups.
State television indicated that a French national was among the twenty fatalities reported among the attackers, and eleven individuals were subsequently arrested following the engagement. These accusations reflect the severe deterioration of diplomatic and security relations between Niger and its southern neighbors, which the junta views as acting on behalf of Paris.
France, Benin, and Ivory Coast have not yet issued official responses or comments regarding the specific accusations leveled by the Nigerien military leadership. The context involves Niger’s alignment with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Mali and Burkina Faso, both of which have also expelled French forces following their own coups.
Regional instability remains high as the AES nations continue to struggle against escalating violence linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL affiliates across the Sahel. Neither of the primary armed groups operating in the area has claimed responsibility for the airport assault as of this report.
This confrontation at a critical piece of national infrastructure signals a marked escalation in the geopolitical standoff gripping West Africa. The junta’s overt alignment with Russian military assets further complicates international efforts to stabilize the region following the overthrow of elected President Mohamed Bazoum.
