Geopolitics · Wednesday, 9 September 2026
Niger accuses France of inciting failed military mutiny, France calls it "pure fantasy"
Niger's military government accused France, President Emmanuel Macron and the presidents of Benin and Ivory Coast of inciting mutinous soldiers who attacked a military airbase and the airport in the capital Niamey on 29 August. The army, backed by Russian paramilitary forces, regained control of the base the next day. France dismissed the accusation as "pure fantasy", while an Islamic State-linked group claimed responsibility for the airbase attack itself.