Niger blames France for inciting soldiers’ mutiny
Niger has blamed France for inciting an attack on a key military airbase by mutinous soldiers last week, according to a government statement read on TV on Friday.
Niger has accused France of inciting a mutiny among its soldiers, resulting in an attack on a key military airbase last week, according to a government statement broadcast on television on Friday. The mutinous soldiers stormed the airport and the presidential palace in the capital, Niamey, on August 29th, the most recent threat to President Abdourahamane Tiani's rule, which he took over in a coup in 2023.
Explosions and gunfire erupted at the military airbase, but the country's army, supported by Russian paramilitary forces, regained control the following day. The Council of Ministers concluded on Friday that the attack was incited by a vast network of conspirators led by France, based on a substantial body of evidence, according to the statement.
The government stated that it reserves the right to bring the matter before international courts. The assault revealed tensions within Niger's armed forces, which have endured repeated battlefield setbacks while combating a jihadist insurgency. Tiani blamed France and other West African nations for the unrest in the capital earlier in the year, without presenting any evidence.
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- Niger Blames France for Failed Mutiny; Paris Denies riotimesonline.com
