Failed coup in Niger: the troubling account of a military officer

Roger Gabriel recounts that he was at home when the first shots rang out around Air Base 101. At first, he and his men thought it was a terrorist attack. The battalion then received orders to arm themselves, secure their camp, and hold a second strategic position.

The situation became clearer when he learned that the fighting was between elements of the BSR-COS and the Presidential Guard. Several officers engaged at the air base then asked him to come reinforce them. Roger Gabriel says he refused and kept his unit within the loyalist chain of command.

The officer then claims to have received several communications from outside Niger. A Chadian officer reportedly told him of an intervention being prepared from Chad with, according to him, the involvement of French special forces.

Roger Gabriel also says he was contacted by associates of former President Mohamed Bazoum. During these exchanges, several countries were mentioned, notably Benin, Ivory Coast, and France. He also mentions calls coming from French, Belgian, or Dubai-based numbers.

The captain says he passed all these communications on to his superiors. His account thus depicts a night where, beyond the fighting, a battle of allegiances and intelligence was taking place between the different units.

Accusations to be proven

These accusations should, however, be treated with caution. The fact that Roger Gabriel made them publicly is established, but this does not prove that the foreign interventions mentioned were actually planned or authorized.

Chad has moreover denied the accusations. Chadian military sources cited by Alwihda Info have refuted them, while President Mahamat Idriss Déby issued a message calling not to “mix falsehood with truth.”

The African Union, for its part, condemned “any attempt to seize power by force” after the clashes of August 28 and 29. Roger Gabriel’s testimony therefore sheds light on the behind-the-scenes of the movement, while opening a more sensitive chapter on possible external support that remains, at this stage, to be established.