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The Niger government has accused multiple countries of being behind a deadly attack on a military base at Niamey’s international airport that was storing concentrated uranium powder.
Getting into it: The attack, which took place on January 29th, unfolded at Diori Hamani International Airport, where gunfire and explosions erupted around midnight. According to Niger’s Defence Ministry, the attackers arrived on motorcycles and launched a coordinated assault involving small arms and drone strikes. The military responded with both ground and aerial assets, ultimately killing 20 attackers, injuring 11 others, and arresting 11 suspects. Four Nigerien soldiers were wounded in the fighting, and several civilian aircraft on the tarmac were damaged, along with an ammunition cache that caught fire.
General Abdourahamane Tiani, the military leader who seized power in a 2023 coup, visited the airbase following the incident and delivered a televised address accusing foreign governments of orchestrating the attack. He directly blamed French President Emmanuel Macron, Beninese President Patrice Talon, and Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, claiming their governments sponsored the operation. Tiani offered no evidence for the accusations but claimed they were seeking to destabilize the country.
Shortly after Tiani’s speech, the Islamic State issued a statement via its news agency claiming responsibility for the attack. The group described it as a “surprise and coordinated attack” that caused significant damage, though it did not provide casualty figures.
This all comes as speculation grows over the motivations behind the airport attack. The presence of concentrated uranium powder, known as yellowcake, at a facility within the airport has raised questions about whether the attack was intended, at least in part, to gain access to the uranium stockpile.
