Algeria denies French request to use airspace for operation in Niger, according to media

However, Paris asserts that it did not request this approval from the Algiers government.

Several media outlets reported on Tuesday, citing Algeria’s state radio, that Algeria has rejected a request from France to fly across its airspace for a military action in Niger, where President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown in a coup in late July.

Late on Monday, the state radio of Algeria said that it had learnt from sources that Paris was preparing to launch an attack against Niamey’s new military authorities if they did not free Bazoum, who has been detained in custody since July 26.

According to the Nova News Agency, “France turned to Morocco, asking for permission to pass its military planes through its airspace, faced with Algerian refusal.”

The leadership of the coup has accused France of intending to use its 1,500 troops stationed in its former colony of Niger, where it has been conducting operations against jihadist insurgencies, to restore the ousted president’s government.

The French foreign ministry has frequently declared that it supports the actions of the West African regional grouping ECOWAS, which has threatened to use force to overthrow the coup, despite denying any intention of armed intervention in the West African nation.

According to a source in the French army, “France’s joint defence staff denies making a request to fly over Algerian territory.”

If diplomatic efforts to restore Bazoum fail, ECOWAS announced on Friday that it had set a deadline for sending troops into Niger.

Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Benin have all indicated that they are willing to send soldiers to help the bloc’s objective to reestablish democracy in Niger.

Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the president of Algeria, expressed concerns earlier this month about the possibility of an armed reaction to the crisis in Niamey, saying that such a response “could ignite the entire Sahel region.” He also emphasised that Algeria would not use force against its neighbours.

The Algerian Foreign Affairs Ministry called on a peaceful restoration of democratic order in a statement released on Saturday. It also opposed the potential employment of an ECOWAS “standby force” against the military authorities in Niger, claiming that previous military interventions “have brought more problems than solutions.”

Following the suspension of Niger’s membership as a result of the coup, the African Union (AU) issued a warning on Tuesday against any outside meddling in the country.