Niger officer accuses France of backing failed coup attempt VIDEO

A Nigerien army officer has accused France of being behind a failed attempt to stage a military coup in the country.

Captain Roger Gabriel of the 1st Parachute Battalion made the allegations while describing events surrounding the attempted coup, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

He said that during fighting at Base 101, he received several telephone calls. The first was from a Chadian officer he knew, who asked about the situation before telling him that French special forces in Chad were ready to intervene in support of rebels at the base.

Gabriel said he later received a call from the family of ousted Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum.

According to the officer, they said Benin and Côte d’Ivoire were ready to intervene alongside French special forces based in Côte d’Ivoire, with the support of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The officer also said he received calls from Belgium, Dubai and France, but did not answer them.

The allegations have not been independently verified.

By Aghakazim Guliyev