Niger Junta Leader Accuses France, Benin and Ivory Coast After Airport Attack
Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani accused France, Benin and Ivory Coast after gunfire and explosions struck Niamey airport, with authorities saying 20 attackers were killed.
Overview
Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani said on state television that Presidents Emmanuel Macron, Patrice Talon and Alassane Ouattara sponsored the coordinated attack on Niamey’s Diori Hamani International Airport, but he provided no evidence.
Niamey’s Diori Hamani International Airport hosts Base Aérienne 101, the Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali Joint Force headquarters and a uranium stockpile tied to French company Orano, making the strike strategically significant, records show.
Niger’s defense ministry said security forces repelled the assault that began shortly after midnight, killing 20 attackers, arresting 11 and wounding four soldiers, and state television thanked Russian troops for "defending their sector."
Islamic State in the Sahel claimed responsibility for the raid via its Amaq news agency, SITE Intelligence Group reported, saying militants arrived on motorcycles and used heavy weapons and drones.
Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani vowed retaliation on state television, and analysts including Ulf Laessing of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation warned the attack's sophistication could deepen Niger's break with France and escalate regional tensions.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story skeptically, emphasizing the junta's lack of evidence, ties to Russia, and the 2023 coup that ousted Bazoum, using terms like 'junta' and 'pivot away.' Source content (Tiani's combative quote, defense ministry casualty figures) is reported, but editorial choices highlight doubt and illegitimacy.
Sources (4)
FAQ
The Islamic State in the Sahel (ISSP) claimed responsibility via its Amaq news agency.
Gen. Tchiani accused the presidents of France (Emmanuel Macron), Benin (Patrice Talon), and Ivory Coast (Alassane Ouattara) of sponsoring the attack, without providing evidence.
Nigerien forces killed 20 attackers, captured 11, and had 4 soldiers wounded; three civilian aircraft were damaged, and ammunition stock caught fire.
It hosts Air Base 101, headquarters of the Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali Joint Force, and stores around 1,000 metric tons of uranium concentrate amid a dispute with French company Orano.
Russian military personnel stationed at the base supported Nigerien forces in repelling the attack.
History
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