Algeria Deployed Fighter Jets to Niger Amid Coup Attempt, President States

Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune stated that his country sent fighter jets to Niger in late August to assist in thwarting a coup attempt that affected the capital, Niamey. This confirmation was made during an interview with local media outlets, which was broadcast on Saturday ahead of its full release. Tebboune indicated that the deployment of warplanes was a response to actions by certain parties that he claimed had 'gone too far.' He noted that Niger’s Prime Minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, had visited Algeria and returned to Niger just before the mutiny occurred. Tebboune remarked, 'For obvious reasons, this is a provocation against us … and I too will send planes and we’ll meet head-on.' He did not clarify who he was referring to regarding those who had gone too far, nor did he specify whether they were internal or external actors. On August 28 into August 29, sustained gunfire and explosions were reported in Niamey, with a military base at Diori Hamani International Airport being targeted first by renegade soldiers, followed by attacks on the state broadcaster and the presidential palace. Niger’s Minister of Defence, General Salifou Modi, stated that a group of military personnel attempted to detain several colleagues at Air Base 101 and opened fire on strategic locations in the capital. Security forces intervened and gradually regained control over the targeted areas. On August 30, the Algerian Ministry of Defence announced the deployment of four fighter jets to Niger following the unrest, stating that two patrols of four Sukhoi Su-30 aircraft had landed at Niamey airport, accompanied by an air-to-air refuelling plane. The ministry indicated that the warplanes were sent at the request of Nigerien authorities to support the Nigerien army in confronting an attempt to destabilise Niger. Last month, Niger’s military government accused France of orchestrating the failed mutiny, a claim that France denied. Algeria and Niger maintain close security and military ties, sharing a long land border, with Algeria considering the stability of the Sahel region crucial to its national security. Niger’s Prime Minister Zeine met with President Tebboune during his visit to Algeria on August 26–27 as part of a high-level ministerial delegation aimed at enhancing cooperation between the two nations.