Niger Blames France & Neighbors for Airport Base Attack

Niger’s military leadership has used a security incident at Niamey’s international airport to advance a broader political narrative of foreign interference, marking a further hardening of its stance toward France and regional governments aligned with Paris. In a televised address on Thursday, General Abdourahamane Tiani directly accused France, Benin and Ivory Coast of sponsoring an assault on a military base adjacent to Diori Hamani International Airport, framing the attack as part of a coordinated external campaign against Niger’s post-coup authorities.

The assault occurred late Wednesday night and into Thursday, targeting a military installation roughly 10 km from the presidential palace. According to Niger’s Defence Minister Salifou Modi, the fighting lasted “about 30 minutes” before being contained by combined air and ground responses.

The defense ministry also said four Nigerien soldiers were injured, 20 attackers were killed, and 11 people were arrested. State television added that a French national was among the dead.

Eyewitness videos showed air defense systems engaging unidentified projectiles in the early hours of the attack. Airport operations were reportedly restored later the same day.

Diplomatic Confrontation

After touring the airbase, Tiani publicly named French President Emmanuel Macron, Benin’s President Patrice Talon, and Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara as alleged sponsors of the assault.

We’ve heard them bark quite enough; now they should get ready to hear us roar!

President of Niger General Abdourahamane Tiani

The unusually blunt language in the statement encapsulated the sharp deterioration of Niger’s relations with France and its coastal neighbors since the July 2023 coup that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum. France is routinely accused of attempting to continue exerting alleged neo colonial influence in sahel countries despite the rupture in bilateral relations.

The accusations align with a longer-running narrative promoted by the ruling National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP). In May 2025, Tiani alleged that France was supporting armed groups operating in the Lake Chad region, claiming those groups had grown stronger than Niger’s armed forces.

French officials have consistently denied such claims, but the rhetoric has resonated domestically amid persistent insecurity and public resentment toward former colonial powers.

Russian Presence and Security Trade-Offs

Tiani’s remarks also underscored Niger’s evolving security partnerships. He explicitly thanked Russian troops stationed at the Niamey base for “defending their sector,” confirming Moscow’s visible role in Niger’s security architecture.

Russian support has expanded as Niger severed defense ties with France and other Western partners following the 2023 coup. The government has argued that this realignment offers greater sovereignty and operational freedom as it confronts armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS (Daesh) across the Sahel.

Niger’s security challenges remain acute. The insurgency has killed thousands and displaced millions across Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Neither al-Qaeda-linked groups nor ISIS (Daesh) claimed responsibility for the airport attack.

The episode nevertheless illustrates how localized security incidents are increasingly framed within a wider geopolitical struggle.

Alliance Politics and Regional Realignment

Niger is now formally aligned with Mali and Burkina Faso through the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a bloc created to coordinate military and economic policy among the three military-led governments. The alliance reflects a shared rejection of Western security frameworks and an emphasis on collective self-reliance.

The Niamey airport incident, and the accusations that followed, reinforce how security, diplomacy, and regime legitimacy have become tightly intertwined in the Sahel’s evolving order.