Niger President Tiani accuses France of backing Sahel destabilisation

On 25 July 2026, Niger’s head of state, General Abdourahamane Tiani, used a televised interview marking the third anniversary of the Conseil National pour la Sauvegarde de la Patrie (CNSP) to allege direct French involvement in attempts to destabilise the Sahel. He claimed that France and other Western nations sponsor terrorism, citing the 18 June 2026 attack on Niamey’s Diori Hamani International Airport as being carried out by mercenaries trained, equipped and financed by French services.

Tiani said the attackers were linked to the Jama’at Nusrat al‑Islam wal‑Muslimin (JNIM) and that each received sophisticated communication devices supplied by France. He described a “Sahel cell” allegedly set up in the Élysée in August 2024 to conduct an information war aimed at undermining African sovereignty, and referenced an earlier French ultimatum demanding the reinstatement of former president Mohamed Bazoum within a week after the 2023 coup.

Paris has not responded to the accusations. The statements have heightened diplomatic tension between Niger and France and underscore broader disputes over foreign influence in the region.