The military junta of Niger accused this Wednesday France of carrying out “a destabilization plan” of the country through the “unilateral” release of 16 terrorists who had been arrested in three operations and of violating the country’s airspace, closed since last Sunday.
In a statement read on public television by Colonel Amadou Abdramanespokesman for the board of National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP), the military denounced that the objective of this release, carried out today, is for the terrorists to “attack our positions” in the region of tillaberiin the southwest of Niger.
The junta, which carried out a coup on July 26, denounced that this Wednesday a position of the National Guard nigerian in Bourgou-Bourgouwhere an important gold mine is located in the region of tillabéri (southwest), adding that the balance of victims is unknown at the moment.
“Through direct communication with Western partners, the behavior of the French forces was condemned for unilaterally releasing imprisoned terrorist elements,” the Nigerian colonel asserted.
The person in charge accused France of wanting – with his action – to “discredit” the junta, to “create a break with the people who support him” and to “create a feeling of general insecurity.”
And declared that the leader of the CNSPthe brigadier general, Abdurahamane Tianiordered the set of Defense and Security Forces (FDS) “raise the alert level”, and called on the people to “mobilise” and the competent authorities to denounce France before international jurisdictions and instances.
Also, the CNSP accused French forces of violating the country’s airspace, which was closed last Sunday due to threats from the Economic Community of West African States (Cedeao) of possible military action in the country if the military does not restore constitutional order.
The same source explained that a military aircraft of type 400M flew over the airspace of Niger between 6:39 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. local time, and accused him of “voluntarily cutting off all contact with air control.”
