France has firmly denied allegations made by Niger Republic’s military junta leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, accusing the country of using Nigerian territory to undermine Niger.
French officials have labeled the claims as baseless and without merit, reiterating their commitment to respecting the sovereignty of African nations.
The controversy began when Tchiani, in a statement delivered in Hausa, accused France of plotting with Nigeria to destabilize his government.
He alleged that France had engaged in negotiations with terrorist groups in Nigeria and claimed that substantial financial payments were made to Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu to facilitate a military base for potential operations against Niger.
Responding to these allegations, Mr. Bertrand de Seissan, Political Counsellor at the French Embassy in Nigeria, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), “This allegation is groundless. This has never been discussed, nor even suggested by either France or Nigeria.”
The statement was echoed by Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which dismissed the claims as entirely unfounded.
A spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, emphasized the cordial relationship between the two nations.
“These allegations are unfounded and should be discarded in their entirety. It is important to state that the relationship between Nigeria and France has always been cordial, and it is guided by mutual respect, dignity, and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
“Nigeria will continue to explore all peaceful means to maintain its cordial relationship with the Republic of Niger for the benefit of the
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, addressed the issue on Arise TV, reaffirming that Nigeria’s alliances with France and other global powers are essential for combating insecurity and terrorism.
Tuggar said, “We have always had a relationship with France, it did not start today and there is nothing different about our relationship with France today but it does not mean that other countries or other people have to dictate to Nigeria who it should have a relationship with.”
“We cannot tackle the issue of insecurity in our region simply by a partnership or by being friends with the Sahelian countries. Even if you do that you still have Libya to contend with.
“I just finished describing to you the weaponry that is being churned out of Libya; training, fighters, terrorists, criminal gangs and so on and so forth.
“To solve Libya we need a relationship with France, we need a relationship with the United States of America, we need a relationship with Russia, we need a relationship with all of these major powers,” he explained.
He highlighted the challenges posed by weaponry and fighters emanating from Libya, stressing that a broad coalition is necessary for lasting regional stability.
You cannot say that ‘Oh no, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali have decided after all these years they no longer want to have anything to do with France therefore Nigeria must be compelled’ and meanwhile Nigeria is the senior partner in the relationship, to begin with.
“It is shortsighted, myopic, and not in Nigeria’s national interest,” the minister concluded.
French President Emmanuel Macron also dismissed the allegations during a foreign policy conference in Paris.
Macron criticized certain Sahelian leaders for what he described as ingratitude, emphasizing that France’s focus has always been on combating terrorism and ensuring stability in the region.
