Niger’s military ruler, Abdourahamane Tiani, has accused the presidents of France, Benin and Cote d’Ivoire of sponsoring an attack on Niamey international airport.
Armed men on motorcycles attacked Diori Hamani International Airport, outside Niger’s capital Niamey, shortly before midnight on Wednesday.
Niger’s state broadcaster reported loud explosions and heavy gunfire at the airport, which also hosts a military base.
The defence ministry said four members of the security forces were injured, 20 attackers were killed and 11 people were arrested during what security sources described as a terrorist attack.
State television said one of the attackers killed was a French national, without providing evidence.
Threats of retaliation
After visiting the air base, Tiani thanked Russia for helping repel the attack.
“We commend all the defence and security forces, as well as Russian partners who defended their security sector with professionalism,” he said on state radio.
He accused French President Emmanuel Macron, Benin’s President Patrice Talon and Cote d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara of backing the attackers.
“We remind the sponsors of these mercenaries, notably Emmanuel Macron, Patrice Talon and Alassane Ouattara: we’ve heard them bark, they should be ready to hear us roar,” he said.
Defence Minister Salifou Modi said on state television that the attackers targeted the air base for “about 30 minutes” before an “air and ground response” was launched.
Public television broadcast images showing several bloodied bodies on the ground and repeated that a French national was among those killed, without providing evidence.
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Uranium and drones
Analysts said the attackers may have been trying to destroy military drones stationed at the base.
Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel programme at Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Foundation, said drones had become central to the conflict between armies and jihadist groups.
“Drones have become a game changer for both sides, army and jihadists, so the attackers wanted to eliminate the latest Turkish arms deliveries,” he told the Associated Press.
Niger has recently acquired Turkish drones, according to local media.
The attackers may also have been drawn to a shipment of uranium that has been stuck at the airport amid legal and diplomatic disputes with France.
Niger is a major uranium producer.
Authorities moved uranium oxide concentrate, known as yellowcake, late last year from the Somair mine in Arlit to the Niamey base after taking control of the mine from French nuclear group Orano.
Security sources told Reuters the uranium was not affected by the attack.
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Regional tensions
Niger’s military seized power in a July 2023 coup and has since been battling jihadist violence, like neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali.
All three countries have cut ties with Western partners and turned to Russia for military support.
Relations between Niger, France and Benin remain tense, with Niger’s authorities regularly accusing both countries of trying to destabilise the country, accusations they deny.
(with newswires)
