BAMAKO, Mali
Benin on Friday rejected accusations by Niger’s military leader, Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani, who alleged that Benin was complicit in attacks on strategic sites in the Nigerien capital, calling the claims not credible and largely dismissed, even within Niger.
Benin government spokesperson Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji said authorities in the port city of Cotonou take all threats seriously but described the accusations as baseless.
“These accusations are not very credible,” he told Peace FM radio, adding that “even in Niger, they have gained little to no traction and amount more to attempts to distract public opinion than to established facts.”
Tiani made the allegations on Thursday following Jan. 28 – Jan. 29 overnight attacks, during which gunfire and explosions were reported around the Diori Hamani International Airport, including an air base within the complex.
Nigerien security forces said they repelled the assault, neutralized several attackers, arrested others and reported injuries among some soldiers.
Tiani subsequently accused several countries, including Benin, of complicity.
Houngbedji said Nigeriens did not believe the claims. “They say Beninese are their brothers,” he said, using a metaphor to underline Benin’s stance. “If someone strips naked to steal your blanket, do not chase them in the same state, at the risk of being mistaken.”
He stressed that the accusations would not distract Benin from its priorities, pointing to the country’s economic and institutional performance. “These are diversions that will not deflect us from our priorities,” said Houngbedji.
Since a July 2023 coup that brought Niger’s military to power, Tiani has repeatedly accused Benin of harboring foreign military bases and training armed groups allegedly aimed at destabilizing Niger.
Benin has consistently denied the claims. The latest accusations, following the attack, prompted renewed reactions in the sub-region, with Beninese authorities opting for what they described as a firm but restrained diplomatic response.
Nigerien President Abdourahamane Tchiani told national television Thursday that the presidents of France, Benin and Ivory Coast are “sponsors” of the attackers, warning that “they should now prepare to listen to us roar.”
