Niger Accuses France of Destabilizing Sahel Region

Nigerien President Abdourahamane Tiani has accused France and other Western powers of orchestrating indirect efforts to destabilize the Sahel Confederation through covert intelligence operations and the support of armed groups.

Speaking in a four-hour televised interview with national broadcaster RTN, President Tiani claimed that a broad international conspiracy is at play.

He alleged the involvement of foreign intelligence agencies, international actors, and neighboring states in an attempt to undermine the emerging Sahel Confederation, which includes Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

Tiani identified two alleged French intelligence units operating in the region. The first, he claimed, was established following the July 26, 2023 coup and is led by Jean-Marie Bockel, French President Emmanuel Macron’s special envoy to Africa.

This unit reportedly includes French military officers and aims to prevent the spread of the Sahelian political movement and to preserve France’s military presence in the region.

The second, dubbed the “Élysée Sahel Cell,” was reportedly launched in September 2024 under the supervision of Christophe Guyot. According to Tiani, this unit consists of French foreign intelligence personnel, diplomats, and officials from the International Organization of La Francophonie.

He named Jérémy Robert as the operational leader of the cell, which he accused of having "unlimited financial resources" dedicated to destabilizing the Sahel Confederation.

The Nigerien president further alleged that a strategy of "terrorist resettlement" is being pursued in the border areas shared with Mali and Burkina Faso, supported by the redeployment of fighters from the Lake Chad basin. He accused Benin of allowing these armed groups to settle in its northern territories, a region he described as being under “direct French influence.”

Tiani also revealed the existence of a high-level meeting on 15 March 2025, which he claims brought together representatives of Western powers and armed groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP). The aim of this alleged gathering, he said, was to launch an indirect war against the Sahelian states, beginning with Niger.

Additionally, the president accused Nigeria of providing refuge and logistical support to French forces expelled from Niger. He pointed to two meetings held in Abuja on 25 January and 3 February 2025 as key moments in the coordination of what he described as a broader destabilization campaign.