Failed coup attempt: Niger escalates rhetoric against Macron and prepares its legal response.

“A substantial amount of documentation has been compiled regarding this aggression, and Niger reserves the right to initiate legal action before international courts,” the minutes of the Council of Ministers, which addressed these events, state. The text does not specify which jurisdiction is being considered, nor does it provide a timeline for any potential legal proceedings.

According to Nigerien authorities, the operation was carried out by elements of the special intelligence battalion under the command of special operations. The government attributes “international ramifications” to the operation and accuses a network of complicities involving, according to its claims, the French government and President Emmanuel Macron. The report does not detail the evidence on which these accusations are based. No response from the French government is included.

Presided over by the head of state, the Council of Ministers presented this initiative as a new action aimed at hindering Niger’s policy of sovereignty and its desire to control its natural resources. The government also implicated, without naming them, certain African actors, accusing them of serving as intermediaries for destabilization efforts attributed to Paris. No specific country or African official is explicitly named in the text.

Several deaths.

The events resulted in casualties among both civilians and military personnel, as well as injuries, according to the report, which did not provide any specific figures. The government has expressed its condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

He praised the actions of the defense and security forces, particularly the presidential guard, as well as the mobilization of the population in support of the institutions. However, the statement does not provide a detailed description of the clashes or any information regarding potential arrests.

The authorities also expressed their gratitude to the member states of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) confederation, as well as to Algeria and Russia, for the solidarity they demonstrated, according to them, from the very beginning of the events.

Appealing to the population to strengthen vigilance, citizen engagement, and prayers, the government assured that Niger “is not initiating war against any country.” At this stage, the announcement regarding international justice represents a potential avenue for recourse, without confirmation of the filing of a formal complaint.