Niger military leader accuses France, Benin, Ivory Coast of backing airport attack

Niger’s military ruler has publicly accused the presidents of France, Benin, and Ivory Coast of supporting armed groups responsible for an assault on an air force base in Niamey, the country’s capital. The attack on January 29 wounded four soldiers and damaged an aircraft, ABC News reports.

Nigerien forces responded swiftly, killing 20 assailants and arresting 11 others. General Abdourahamane Tchiani, speaking on state television, warned: “We remind the sponsors of those mercenaries, who are Emmanuel Macron (president of France), Patrice Talon (president of Benin) and Alassane Ouattara (president of Ivory Coast), we have sufficiently heard them bark, and they should now in turn be prepared to hear us roar.” Tchiani provided no evidence to substantiate his claims.

Footage appearing to show the attack captured loud explosions and a sky glowing with fire, beginning around midnight and continuing for roughly two hours near Diori Hamani International Airport. The airport is a strategic hub, hosting military bases, the Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali Joint Force headquarters, and a significant uranium stockpile at the center of a dispute with French nuclear company Orano.

Air Côte d’Ivoire reported that one of its planes parked at the airport sustained damage to its fuselage and right wing amid the gunfire. Nigerien state media also claimed that one assailant killed was a French national, although no evidence was provided. No group has claimed responsibility.

Niger has long struggled with jihadi violence in the Sahel, where Burkina Faso and Mali—also under military juntas—face similar insurgencies. Since the 2023 coup, Niger’s junta has severed ties with France and other Western powers, turning to Russia for military support. The juntas frequently accuse Benin and Ivory Coast, both closely aligned with Paris, of acting as proxies.

Analysts note that the sophistication and audacity of the Niamey airport attack—including the possible use of drones—suggest potential inside assistance. Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Foundation, observed that successful attacks elsewhere in the region may have emboldened militants to target highly strategic sites.

By Vafa Guliyeva