Niger's Tiani Condemns Killers Claiming Jihad, Marks Three Years in Power in Wide-Ranging RTN Interview

General Abdourahamane Tiani
Niger's President, General Abdourahamane Tiani, has condemned those who carry out killings under the banner of jihad, describing such acts as manipulation rather than genuine religious struggle. The President made the remarks during a lengthy interview with Niger's state broadcaster, RTN, at the presidential palace on Sunday, July 26, 2026, coinciding with the third anniversary of his administration's rise to power following the July 2023 coup.

Denouncing "Jihad" as a Cover for Violence

During the interview, Tiani denounced what he characterized as manipulation and complicity involving some of Niger's neighboring African countries, urging citizens not to be misled by tactics of diversion, including attacks carried out in the name of jihad. He reminded Nigeriens that their country is roughly 99 percent Muslim, framing the killings as a distortion of genuine Islamic teaching rather than an expression of it. The President called on the population to remain steadfast and to continue collective prayers for the country and for the wider Alliance of Sahel States (AES) confederation, which groups Niger with Mali and Burkina Faso.

Security as the Central Theme
Security dominated much of the wide-ranging conversation, conducted by journalist Abdoulaye Tiemogo. Tiani revisited the recurring attacks targeting Niamey's Diori Hamani International Airport, including the January 2026 assault claimed by Islamic State-linked fighters that killed roughly 20 attackers and left four Nigerien security personnel wounded, as well as a subsequent attack in June. The President reiterated earlier accusations that such attacks are financed, trained and equipped by France and other Western actors working through mercenaries, and repeated his gratitude to Russian forces stationed at the airbase for helping repel the assaults.

He described Niger's relationship with France in adversarial terms, characterizing the country as locked in confrontation with what he called a European power intent on undermining the sovereignty the AES states have asserted since 2023. Despite this confrontation, Tiani argued that the Confederation of Sahel States had achieved significant strides in defence, diplomacy and development over the past year.

Sovereignty, Endogenous Resources and a Break with the Past

A central theme of the interview was what Tiani described as Niger's development of "endogenous resources" homegrown capacity intended to allow the country to stand on its own, 365 days a year, without dependence on former colonial partners. He insisted that Niger would not return to the political and economic arrangements that existed before July 26, 2023, framing that date as a rupture with what he called a neocolonial system that had long allowed France to dispose of Niger's human and natural resources on its own terms.

Relations With Neighbours: An Opening With Benin

On regional diplomacy, Tiani addressed the possibility of reopening Niger's land border with Benin, which has remained closed amid tensions since the 2023 coup. He confirmed that discussions between the two governments are ongoing, noting that a joint committee had already put forward proposals and welcoming what he described as constructive exchanges with Benin's new president. However, he stopped short of setting a timeline, explaining that further guarantees would need to be secured before any reopening could take place.

A Broader Balance Sheet
Beyond security and diplomacy, Tiani touched on Niger's economy, agriculture and energy sector as part of a broader accounting of the CNSP's three years in power, under the government's self-described "Refoundation" programme. Sunday's anniversary was marked nationwide with collective prayer sessions, public conferences on sovereignty, and civic activities, as state media rolled out a special commemorative programme reviewing the administration's record across its main policy pillars.

Taken together, the interview functioned less as a routine news conference than as a state-of-the-nation accounting an opportunity for Tiani to defend his government's record on security and sovereignty, reaffirm the ideological direction of the AES confederation, and signal, cautiously, the possibility of a diplomatic thaw with at least one of Niger's estranged neighbors.

Mustapha Bature Sallama.
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal investigation and Intelligence Analysis.

International Conflict Management and Peace Building.USIP

[email protected]
+233-555-275-880
Sources / References
Agence Nigérienne de Presse (ANP), "An3 du CNSP : Chronologie des faits marquants depuis le 26 juillet 2023" https://anp.ne/le-26-juillet-2026-le-conseil-national-pour-la-sauvegarde-de-la-patrie-cnsp-sous-le-leadership-du-president-de-la-republique-le-general-darmee-abdourahamane-tiani-boucle-3-trois-de-gestio/

Agence Nigérienne de Presse (ANP), "ANS3: Le président Tiani appelle la population à poursuivre les prières pour le pays et la Confédération" https://anp.ne/ans3-le-president-tiani-appelle-la-population-a-poursuivre-les-prieres-pour-le-pays-et-la-confederation/

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Le Sahel, "Interview accordée par le Président du Conseil National pour la Sauvegarde de la Patrie (CNSP)... à la RTN" https://www.lesahel.org/interview-accordee-par-le-president-du-conseil-national-pour-la-sauvegarde-de-la-patrie-cnsp-chef-de-letat-le-general-de-brigade-abdourahamane-tiani-a-la-rtn/

Burkina24, "« La souveraineté exige des sacrifices » : Le message fort du Général Abdourahamane Tiani" https://burkina24.com/2026/07/26/la-souverainete-exige-des-sacrifices-le-message-fort-du-general-abdourahamane-tiani/

Pravda Niger, "France Sponsors Mercenaries Destabilizing Sahel States: Nigerien President" https://niger.news-pravda.com/en/niger/2026/07/26/4844.html

Wikipedia, "January 2026 Diori Hamani International Airport attack" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_2026_Diori_Hamani_International_Airport_attack

Al Jazeera, "Niger military gov't says France, Benin, Ivory Coast behind airport attack" https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/29/niger-military-govt-says-france-benin-ivory-coast-behind-airport-attack