Madar (Niamey) - Niger's government has accused Chad of carrying out a drone strike on its territory that killed two civilians and wounded several others, saying it was backed by France, the African Press Agency (APA) and Tchadinfos reported on Monday, 26 October 2026.
According to a government statement, the strike hit around 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, 24 October in the Emi Lulu area of the Agadez region (north) and damaged vehicles. Niamey says it was launched from Chadian territory "with the support of a foreign power, France".
The government says investigations by defence and security forces and judicial authorities established the origin of the strike from "concordant material and technical elements", which it will pass to the competent international bodies. The statement does not detail them.
Niamey denounced a "flagrant violation" of national sovereignty contrary to Article 2(4) of the UN Charter. It accuses Chad of a hostile stance for several months and of offering "strategic depth" to mercenaries it says target the population and the country's strategic and energy infrastructure, without giving details.
The government announced that it will summon Chad's ambassador to deliver a formal protest, refer the matter to the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, and request an independent international inquiry with which it pledged full cooperation. It also plans to reinforce surveillance of its airspace and border areas and demands an immediate end to any hostile action and reparation for the damage.
Niamey says it does not seek confrontation with Chad but holds it "entirely responsible" for its actions and their consequences, and reserves the right to take the measures needed to defend its territory under Article 51 of the UN Charter. It urged the public to stay calm and to relay only official information.
Tchadinfos noted that the accusations against Chad and France could not be independently verified and that the statement does not provide, at this stage, the technical evidence behind the announced conclusions. The sources consulted carried no reaction from N'Djamena or Paris.
