Failed Coup: Niger blames France, neighbouring countries, threatens international action

The Nigerien government has blamed France for an attempted coup plot to overthrow the military regime.

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PREMIUM TIMES reported that some soldiers abandoned their front lines and staged what the authorities described as a mutiny.

Between 28 and 29 August, the soldiers took control of several positions, including the Diori Hamani International Airport and Air Base 101, where Africa Corps, a Russian mercenary group, is stationed. They also attempted to breach the perimeter of the fortified presidential palace.

But after several hours of fighting, the mutineers were suppressed, with some arrested or killed.

France blamed

According to Reuters, the Nigerien government announced on Friday via a televised statement that it had concluded the mutiny was backed by a network of accomplices led by France.

The military regime further stated that a “substantial body of evidence has been compiled regarding this attack, and Niger reserves the right to ⁠bring the matter before international courts.”

France has denied this allegation, describing it as “pure fiction.” According to Sahel Alerte, a platform monitoring security trends in the region, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said there had been “neither intent nor means” enabling France to carry out a military action against Niger.

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The allegation came a few days after a senior Nigerien military commander alleged that neighbouring countries supported the mutiny.

Roger Gabriel, a Nigerien army captain, appeared on a state television, alleging that several people, including associates of deposed President Mohamed Bazoum, and officers from Chad, Benin and Côte d’Ivoire, were behind the attack.

Mr Gabriel, the commander of the 1st Parachute Battalion, an elite unit of the army, said foreigners from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Belgium also called and urged him to join the mutiny.

The officer said French soldiers would have arrived in Niamey as reinforcements for the mutineers.

At press time, Benin has rejected his claim, while it remains unclear if other countries he mentioned have reacted.

Abuja also issued a statement, distancing Nigeria from the attempted coup. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiy, stated that there were “false and mischievous claims” that Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) supported the mutiny.

ALSO READ: Nigeria denies backing failed Niger coup

“Nigeria is a peace-loving nation, a defender of constitutional order, and a pillar of democracy and stability not only in West Africa but also in the Sahel and the continent of Africa,” the minister had said.

The relationship between Niger and its former coloniser, France, as well as with its regional allies, has deteriorated sharply since the military junta seized power in July 2023. The coup led to a breakdown in diplomatic ties, with the junta demanding the withdrawal of French troops and ultimately ending Niger’s longstanding military cooperation with France.

Relations with regional allies have also suffered as Niger’s new military rulers rejected the influence of the ECOWAS, particularly over its demand for a return to civilian rule.

The junta has instead strengthened ties with Russia and with neighbouring military-led governments in Mali and Burkina Faso. In September 2023, the three countries established the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), initially as a mutual-defence pact, which was later transformed into a confederation.

The junta has repeatedly accused foreign powers of sponsoring instability in the state in recent years, but this has never been substantiated.