Niger accuses Chad of deadly drone strike with French backing
Niger has accused neighbouring Chad of carrying out a deadly drone strike on its territory with French support, killing two civilians and injuring several others in the northern Agadez region.
In a government statement broadcast on Monday, authorities said the October 24 attack in the Emiloulou area also damaged several vehicles.
Niamey accused Chad of supporting armed groups operating against Niger and targeting its strategic infrastructure.
“For several months, Chad has pursued a hostile approach towards our country and provided strategic depth to mercenaries who attack our populations,” the statement said.
Niger claimed its security and judicial authorities had gathered physical and technical evidence linking Chad to the strike, promising to share the findings with international organisations.
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The government summoned Chad's ambassador on October 27 and announced plans to raise the allegations with the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council.
Niger also demanded an independent international investigation and warned that it reserved the right to defend its territory under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
However, Chad strongly rejected the accusations, denying involvement in the attack or cooperation with France. N'Djamena challenged Niger to make its evidence public and supported calls for an independent investigation.
The dispute follows similar allegations in September, when a Nigerien military officer accused Chad and France of involvement in a failed military mutiny. Chad denied those claims, and no independently verifiable evidence was made public.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
