Niger accuses France and Ukraine of backing Sahel proxies

Niger’s Prime Minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, accused France and Ukraine of actively destabilizing the Sahel region during a speech at the United Nations General Assembly. Zeine claimed that armed groups acting as proxies for France, with the active complicity of Ukraine and two unnamed nations, are massing near Niger’s northeast borders. He warned that these groups are prepared to attack military positions and oil installations.

Zeine framed the regional conflict as a war of liberation against a conspiracy of recolonization driven by the desire for natural resources, including Niger’s uranium, as well as gold, lithium, gas, and oil. He stated that the era of old powers exploiting African resources while the continent remains in darkness has ended.

While the Prime Minister did not provide concrete evidence for these claims, reports have noted a rise in drone usage among armed groups in the region. Additionally, a job posting from a private company was briefly published seeking a reconnaissance and targeting specialist for missions in the north Ghana/south Burkina Faso area, requiring fluency in French and Russian, before being quickly removed.