Niger’s Prime Minister, Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou Zeyn, has accused Ukraine and France of facilitating attacks on military and oil facilities in the region. He claimed that these accusations relate to armed proxy groups managed by foreign states, although he did not specify which groups were involved or provide evidence for the alleged threats.
Zeyn connected the situation to a broader attempt at ‘recolonization’ of the Sahel, citing interests related to Niger’s uranium, Mali’s gold, and Burkina Faso’s minerals, including lithium, gas, and oil. He reiterated the claim that both Paris and Kyiv are contributing to the destabilization of Central Sahel.
Despite these claims, Zeyn emphasized that Niger does not seek confrontation with any nation and is open to security cooperation based on mutual respect for sovereignty and strategic interests. He also described the formation of an alliance among Sahel states as an ‘irreversible’ process, comprising Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. According to Zeyn, the combined forces of these three nations number approximately 5,000 troops, with the capability to mobilize up to 15,000 personnel.
These allegations against Ukraine are not new. In 2024, Mali and Niger had previously accused Ukraine of allegedly supporting Tuareg rebels fighting against the Malian junta and Russian Wagner Group mercenaries. Ukraine has denied these claims, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissing any involvement in supplying drones to the rebels. The ministry labeled the accusations from Mali and Niger as ‘false narratives’ propagated by the aggressor state, Russia. Meanwhile, a representative from Ukraine’s military intelligence, Andrii Yusov, stated in July 2024 that the Tuareg had received not only essential information for defeating Wagner forces but also more critical intelligence.
