Niger junta blames France, Benin, and Ivory Coast after overnight attack at Niamey airport
Source: Telegram
Executive Summary
Gunfire and explosions hit the area around Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey shortly before midnight on January 29, 2026, with security sources describing the incident as a terrorist attack. Niger’s military ruler Abdourahamane Tiani publicly accused the presidents of France, Benin, and Ivory Coast of sponsoring the attack without presenting evidence, while also praising Russian troops stationed at the base. Reporting indicates aircraft on the tarmac were damaged, and that a large quantity of uranium yellowcake stored at the airport was not affected.
Analysis
The incident underscores Niger’s high threat environment and the junta’s tendency to frame major security events through a regional proxy conflict narrative involving France and neighboring coastal states. The public accusations, paired with visible Russian security cooperation messaging, are likely to deepen diplomatic tensions and may be used domestically to reinforce the junta’s legitimacy amid persistent jihadist violence.
Tiani accused French President Emmanuel Macron, Benin’s Patrice Talon, and Ivory Coast’s Alassane Ouattara by name of sponsoring the airport attack, and did so without offering evidence.
Reuters described gunfire and loud explosions near Niamey’s international airport shortly before midnight, with two security sources calling it a terrorist attack and saying there had been an internal alert about an imminent attack and reinforcement of security around the site.
Nigerien authorities said a store of uranium held at the airport was not affected, and cited sources estimating roughly 1,000 metric tons of uranium yellowcake had been moved to the Niamey base for export after Niger seized control of the Somair mine from Orano.
France 24 reported residents heard heavy gunfire and explosions near the airport and that calm returned within hours, with the cause and casualties unclear at the time of its reporting.
The airport’s dual role as a civilian hub and a military facility increases the operational and symbolic impact of any attack in the area, especially given reported uranium storage and the presence of foreign security partners. Reporting also highlights the broader regional context of ongoing jihadist insurgency pressures across Niger and neighboring Sahel states, alongside Niger’s shift away from Western security partnerships and toward closer alignment with Moscow.
