In the aftermath of the spectacular assault on Niamey airport, the head of the Nigerien junta, General Abdourahamane Tiani, went to the scene to greet his troops and launch a virulent diplomatic attack against Paris, Cotonou and Abidjan.

A heavy human and material toll

The attack, which occurred on the night of January 28-29 at Air Base 101 , was exceptionally intense. According to the Ministry of National Defence:

1. On the attackers' side: 20 "mercenaries" were neutralized and 11 captured. State television (RTN) claims, without immediate proof, that a French national is among the dead.
2. On the Nigerien side: 4 soldiers were seriously injured.
3. Civilian damage: Several aircraft were hit, including planes belonging to the companies Asky and Air Côte d'Ivoire .

The Niamey-Moscow axis in the spotlight

During his visit to the national squadron, General Tiani praised the "prompt reaction" of the Nigerien army, while explicitly highlighting the role of Russian partners in routing the enemy in less than twenty minutes.

Direct accusations against France, Benin and Ivory Coast

The highlight of this speech was the verbal attack against Presidents Emmanuel Macron , Patrice Talon , and Alassane Ouattara . The head of the military regime accused them of being the "sponsors" of the attackers.

"We have listened to them barking enough. Let them, in turn, prepare to listen to us roar," General Tiani insisted.

A climate of popular tension

Despite these unspecified threats, life is returning to normal in the capital. Rallies of support were held on Thursday in front of the National Assembly and near the airport. For its part, the civil aviation authority maintains that air traffic is not disrupted.