At the UN, Niger accuses France and Ukraine of supporting armed groups

Niger's Prime Minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, accused France and Ukraine of supporting armed groups ready to attack his country's military positions and oil installations, in a speech delivered at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. The Chadian media outlet Tchadinfos, which reported on the address on September 26, 2026, quotes the head of government referring to "proxies led by this France, supported by Ukraine" as well as two other unnamed countries, which he claims are present "at our northeastern borders."

Serious accusations, without public evidence

According to Tchadinfos, the Prime Minister did not present any evidence to support these claims. Paris had described similar accusations as "pure fantasy" in early September 2026, according to the same media outlet. Ukraine did not immediately react publicly to these remarks.

The economic stakes are clear: Niger has been exporting its crude oil since 2024 via a pipeline connecting the Agadem fields in the east of the country to the Atlantic coast. This infrastructure has become the state's main source of revenue and, consequently, a strategic point of vulnerability.

Sovereignty, uranium, and Security Council reform

Beyond the accusations, the speech was built around the theme of sovereignty. According to the site Niger Diaspora, which published a report dated September 25, 2026, Ali Lamine Zeine defended Niger's right to make its own choices regarding security, resource exploitation, and international cooperation. He demanded that uranium and oil revenues benefit the Nigerien population more and announced the intention to market uranium on the international market.

The Prime Minister also reaffirmed the importance of the Alliance of Sahel States, which brings together Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, and called for permanent African representation on the United Nations Security Council—a demand voiced this week by several delegations from the continent.

Relations between Niamey and Paris have deteriorated since the military took power in July 2023, followed by the departure of French forces. The dispute has extended to the mining sector, where the Nigerien state has regained control over several assets. However, accusations of such gravity made before the General Assembly require verifiable elements: without them, they fuel controversy rather than shed light on the situation. No international investigation has been announced to date.