Niger blames Western powers for destabilization campaign

(MENAFN) Niger’s interim president, Abdourahamane Tchiani, has accused Western nations, with a focus on France, of fueling terrorist violence in Niger to force a “new model of governance” against the wishes of the Nigerien people. In an interview with the state broadcaster RTN, General Tchiani alleged that Western-backed plots have been launched from neighboring countries such as Nigeria and Benin, where governments expelled after Niger’s July 2023 military takeover are operating.

He claimed that operatives supported by the West have met in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin to coordinate efforts, including smuggling weapons to terrorist groups. Tchiani said France has used various tactics to destabilize Niger, infiltrating groups that evolved from separatists to jihadists to terrorists.

The president accused Paris of setting up “French cells” in the region, including one led by President Emmanuel Macron’s envoy for Africa, Jean-Marie Bockel. This “Sahel cell” reportedly mobilizes French intelligence, diplomats, and the Francophonie agency with substantial funding to carry out subversive activities aimed at undermining the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

Tchiani added that the cell’s mission also involves demonizing relations between AES member states and Russia. He reiterated previous accusations that France funds militants in parts of Nigeria and Benin to destabilize Niger, highlighting support from former Nigerian intelligence chief Ahmed Abubakar Rufai.

Niger’s Interior Minister Mohamed Toumba also accused France of using covert tactics to weaken Niger’s military government, claiming French cooperation has left the country in ruin.

These claims come amid rising anti-French sentiment and regional instability in the Sahel, where Niger and its AES partners Mali and Burkina Faso have cut ties with Paris and expelled French forces, accusing France of prolonging chaos under the guise of counterterrorism.

Tchiani further alleged that Nigeria is assisting French troops expelled from Niger, a claim denied by Abuja. Russia, which has become a security partner for Niger and its AES allies, has voiced similar accusations, with Russian officials recently accusing Ukraine of supplying weapons and training militants in Africa to destabilize the continent.

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