NIAMEY MUTINY: Captain Roger Gabriel’s controversial account
A few days after the clashes on August 28 and 29 at Niamey Air Base 101, Captain Roger Gabriel gave his version of events. Dismissing the theory of a jihadist attack, the officer described internal fighting between the BSR-COS and the Presidential Guard, while accusing several senior officers of attempting to recruit him to the mutineers’ cause.
In his account, the captain claims to have received multiple calls from France, Belgium, Dubai, and Chad. He implicates associates of former President Mohamed Bazoum as well as Chadian officers, alleging a destabilization attempt backed by foreign forces and several countries in the region (Benin, Ivory Coast, France)—allegations that were immediately and categorically denied by N’Djamena.
While the statement attempts to frame the event in diplomatic terms, several elements raise questions:
A scripted delivery: The officer spoke while reading from his notes in their entirety—an unusual method for recounting direct telephone conversations.
A disproportionately central role: The fact that all these strategic calls were directed at him alone, in the middle of the night, casts significant doubt on the veracity of his claims.
Lacking concrete evidence, this testimony appears more like a narrative with a specific agenda than a factual account. The investigation will have to determine whether this was an attempt at political manipulation or a genuine cross-border plot.
Joseph HOUNKPATIN
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