"The Armed Forces of Cote d'Ivoire reject these serious allegations made, without any evidence, by the head of the junta in Niger", declared General Lassina Doumbia, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces

Cote D'Ivoire Fires Back, Denies Sponsoring Terrorist Groups To Destabilise Niger Republic

December 28, 2024

General Lassina Doumbia, Chief of Defence Staff of the Armed Forces of Côte d'Ivoire, in a statement issued on Saturday, described the claims as baseless and lacking evidence, emphasising that their focus remains on national defense and security.

The Armed Forces of Côte d'Ivoire have vehemently denied allegations made by Niger Republic junta leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, accusing them of training Nigerien irredentist groups to destabilize the Nigerien government.

General Lassina Doumbia, Chief of Defence Staff of the Armed Forces of Côte d'Ivoire, in a statement issued on Saturday, described the claims as baseless and lacking evidence, emphasising that their focus remains on national defense and security.

Doumbia reaffirmed Côte d'Ivoire's commitment to regional cooperation and contributing to peace and stability in West Africa.

He urged Nigerien military authorities to address their internal security challenges, which remain unresolved.

The English version of the statement partly read:

"In a video broadcast by Nigerien state television and circulating on the internet, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, head of the ruling junta in Niger, felt it necessary, in an interview, to launch into a series of recriminations against in particular the Armed Forces of Côte d'Ivoire, which he openly accuses of contributing to the military training of alleged Nigerien irredentists who have taken refuge in Côte d'Ivoire.

"The objective of this training, according to General Abdourahamane Tchiani, would be to destabilise the power resulting from the putsch of July 26, 2023. The seriousness of the accusations made, the chosen media and the personality of the speaker require clarification in order to dispel the doubts that this succession of untruths could raise.

"The Armed Forces of Côte d'Ivoire, which remain focused on the defense and security of Côte d'Ivoire, oppose these serious accusations made, without any evidence, by the Head of the junta in Niger.

"The Armed Forces of Côte d'Ivoire, faithful to their long tradition of cooperation with countries in the sub-region, remain committed to continuing to make their contributions to regional peace and stability.

"They therefore request that the Nigerien military authorities focus on their security objectives, which, unfortunately, are far from being achieved for the time being."

Côte d’Ivoire Responds to Accusations from Niger’s Junta Leader

As a proud citizen of Côte d’Ivoire, I am appalled by the reckless allegations made by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the junta leader in Niger, against our armed forces. In his recent interview on Niger’s state television, he accused the Ivorian military of training Nigerien dissidents to destabilize his regime. These claims are not only unfounded but also an insult to the professionalism and dedication of our forces.

Let me be clear: the Ivorian Armed Forces have no time for such games. They are fully focused on defending our nation and maintaining its security. Côte d’Ivoire has proven itself to be a bastion of stability in the region, with no terrorist attacks recorded in recent years. Meanwhile, Niger continues to struggle with internal security issues, a task General Tchiani seems more interested in avoiding than addressing.

The statement from General Lassina Doumbia, our Chief of Staff, could not have been more precise. It rejects Tchiani’s allegations as baseless and urges him to focus on his real mission: securing Niger and its people. Our armed forces have a long-standing tradition of cooperating with neighboring countries for the sake of regional peace. These accusations are not just baseless; they are a blatant attempt to deflect attention from Niger’s dire situation.

The reality is that Tchiani’s junta is losing credibility. Instead of working towards stability and governance, he chooses to hurl baseless accusations at a neighboring country. This tactic is not only irresponsible but also dangerous, as it risks undermining the unity needed to address the security challenges our region faces.

Côte d’Ivoire will not be dragged into such petty distractions. Our military will continue its mission of protecting our borders and contributing to regional stability. As a citizen, I take pride in our nation’s focus and resilience, and I stand firmly behind the clear and direct response from General Doumbia.

General Tchiani would do well to stop pointing fingers and start addressing the real problems facing his country. Leadership is about action, not accusations.

muykem:
General Abdourahamane Tchiani has started smell a bad omens and he could not ascertain where his problem is coming from hence allegations upon allegations.

Meti99:
Yet some funny thinking Nigerians have qued behind the Niger head of power based on religious and ethnic bias

FuckYeyeMods:
Maybe he's trying to instigate the northerners against Nigerian state.