The Beninese government categorically rejected any involvement in the attempted coup that took place last weekend in Niger. In an official statement, Cotonou called for the swift normalization of bilateral relations with its neighboring country, refuting accusations linking it to the attackers.
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Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji, spokesperson for the Beninese government, told local media that the government is convinced that, at some point, our brothers in Niger will understand that Benin is not their enemy and that relations will be normalized.
He also denied that Cotonou harbors hostile intentions toward Niamey, directly responding to accusations broadcast by Nigerien state television (RTN). The network claimed, without verification, that Benin, Ivory Coast, and French special forces supported the aggressors.
Benin’s statements come after claims by Nigerien Captain Roger Gabriel, who pointed to external actors following clashes with members of the Special Reconnaissance Battalion of the Special Operations Command (BSR-COS).
ACTU
NIGER: le témoignage du capitaine Roger Gabriel, diffusé le 1er septembre 2026 sur la télévision nationale nigérienne (Télé Sahel), s’inscrit dans un contexte politique et sécuritaire extrêmement tendu. Dans ce récit, cet officier du 1er Bataillon parachutiste affirme… pic.twitter.com/2Bw2BvUymb
— France-AfriqueMÉDIA (@FranceAfrique23) September 2, 2026
The text reads, “NIGER : The testimony of Captain Roger Gabriel, broadcast on September 1, 2026, on Nigerien national television (Télé Sahel), takes place amid an extremely tense political and security context. In this account, this officer from the 1st Parachute Battalion claims to have been approached during a mutiny that occurred in the night of August 28 to 29 in Niamey.”
The attackers assaulted Air Base 101 and several strategic points in the capital. As a result of the operation, Nigerien authorities reported the seizure of an arsenal consisting of 34 armed pickup trucks, two light armored vehicles, AK-47 assault rifles, RPG-7 rocket launchers, and heavy machine guns.
Houngbédji appealed to the historical and family ties shared on both sides of the border. “For the same reasons that led us yesterday to oppose the destabilization of Niger, for those same reasons we oppose it today and will oppose it tomorrow,” he emphasized.
In this way, Benin becomes the second state in the region to publicly distance itself, after Nigeria labeled reports of alleged support from Abuja or the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as “false and malicious.”
Diplomatic relations between Cotonou and Niamey have deteriorated since the July 2023 military coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and brought General Abdourahamane Tchiani to power. The attempted coup on August 28 was quelled the following day with the help of the Afrika Korps, a Russian force deployed in Africa under Moscow’s control.
This event highlights the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprised of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, nations that have severed some of their military ties with France, deepened their cooperation with Russia, and formally withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2025.
#Africa | Niger accused several neighboring countries and France of involvement in the attempted coup over the weekend, in which three members of the presidential guard were killed.https://t.co/CZkhFRgUiA
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) September 3, 2026
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