(MENAFN) Niger’s interim leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, has accused Western nations, particularly France, of deliberately contributing to terrorist activity in the country in an effort to force unwanted political changes on its citizens.

Speaking in a recent televised interview on national TV, Tchiani asserted that numerous efforts to undermine Niger’s stability have originated in neighboring countries such as Nigeria and Benin. These actions, he claimed, were orchestrated by Western nations that had been expelled following the country’s military coup in July 2023.

According to Tchiani, agents with ties to Western powers have convened in regions like Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin to plan operations, which include supplying weapons to extremist groups.

“France has used several means to destabilize us… France has also infiltrated all the movements that were initially called independentist movements, then, the jihadist movement, and finally, terrorist movements,” he stated.

He further alleged that France has planted covert networks in the area, including one led by Jean-Marie Bockel, who serves as President Emmanuel Macron’s representative for African affairs. This network’s mission, Tchiani claimed, is to push back against regional influence led by Sahelian countries.

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