France rejects Niger claim over failed military mutiny

France has rejected Niger’s allegation that it helped orchestrate a failed military mutiny in Niamey, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot calling the claim “pure fantasy”.

The unrest began on 29 August when soldiers attacked a military base at Niamey’s international airport and the presidential palace. Fighting also disrupted the state broadcaster before Niger’s army retook the base the following day, with assistance from Russian Africa Corps fighters, according to the report.

Niger’s ruling military council repeated its accusations against France at its first meeting since the unrest. Government spokesperson Soumana Boubacar alleged that the operation was supported by an international network led by France, but the supplied material provides no evidence for the claim.

Barrot said France had neither the intention nor the means to support the mutiny. Niger has since expanded its allegations to unnamed African states and regional actors. Benin rejected claims that it backed the attack, while allegations involving Chad, Ivory Coast and ECOWAS remain unsubstantiated in the supplied material.

Nigerien state media reported that hundreds of soldiers were involved and that dozens were killed or arrested. The government also acknowledged that civilians died. Those figures, along with the reported number of participants and the precise sequence of events, have not been independently verified in the supplied material.

The dispute adds to relations that have deteriorated since General Abdourahamane Tchiani seized power in a 2023 coup. Niger has turned to Russia for military backing and seized uranium assets from French nuclear company Orano. Analysts cited in the report say continuing attacks by al-Qaeda- and ISIL-linked fighters, and frustration among soldiers facing heavy losses, may have contributed to the mutiny.