France denies Niger’s accusation it orchestrated failed military mutiny
Niger’s government has widened its blame to unnamed neighbours a week after the assault on a military base.

Niger’s government has widened its blame to unnamed neighbours a week after the assault on a military base.


![The failed mutiny highlights tensions inside Niger’s military and the growing role of Russia’s Africa Corps in supporting the junta [AFP]](https://aljazeeranews-mggx1uo47w.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/33U94LZ-highres-1693718660.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)


![Journalist reads out a statement on Niger's State TV from the Defence Ministry stating security forces moved quickly to contain the mutiny. Niamey, Niger, August 29, 2026 [Screenshot from AFP file]](https://aljazeeranews-mggx1uo47w.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/image-1788022898.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
![A Malian soldier stands near a truck during a patrol following the attack on Mali's main military base Kati, outside the capital Bamako, in Kati, Mali, April 27, 2026 [Stringer/Reuters]](https://aljazeeranews-mggx1uo47w.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2026-04-27T121509Z_1695817415_RC2MXKAWT8W6_RTRMADP_3_MALI-SECURITY-1787963389.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)

![Security cooperation in the Sahel has become increasingly fragmented as regional governments pursue different approaches to fighting armed groups [Philippe Desmazes/AFP]](https://aljazeeranews-mggx1uo47w.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/000_Par8191835.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Kevin Rideout, a pilot with the evangelical missionary agency SIM International, was abducted in the capital, Niamey.
Police arrest 10 suspects, seizing bladed weapons, military-style clothes and bomb‑making instructions.
JNIM claims responsibility for assault on Diori Hamani International Airport as gov’t says 22 attackers also killed.
Two people managed to survive after walking more than 50km to a water source and then a nearby town.
France is facing deepening resentment in former African colonies where it once had political influence.
UN rights chief ‘shocked’ by reports that Nigerian and Chadian forces killed over 100 civilians and seeks inquiries.
Niger’s military government has banned dozens of local and foreign reporters since seizing power in 2023.
The killing of two generals near Lake Chad follows a recent Boko Haram attack in the same region that left dozens dead.
Thousands of Malians have been forced to flee their country as several groups, including the army, assault them.
Russia, which has been making inroads into the Sahel through defence partnerships, now faces scrutiny.