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