Niger's junta on Wednesday accused French troops of breaching the country's airspace and plotting to destabilize the West African nation.
The accusation came amid growing tensions following the recent military coup in Niger that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum from power.
In a statement issued on national television, the junta asserted that a French aircraft had violated Niger's airspace, adding to their concerns that a larger plot to sow discord within the country was afoot.
Col. Amadou Abdramane, the junta's spokesperson, suggested that French forces might have ulterior motives to create an atmosphere of generalized insecurity to "discredit" the caretaker government calling itself the National Council for the Safeguard of the Country (CNSP).
He added that the French government had freed 16 terrorists who had been incarcerated. The junta said the freed terrorist planned an attack Wednesday on its National Guard position.
The attack targeted Niger's National Guard position in the Tillaberi region, which borders Mali, Burkina Faso and Benin, Abdramane said in a statement on national television.
It has prompted authorities in Niger to declare a state of high alertness across the country. The CNSP alerted national and international community of "events of extreme gravity in progress in Niger," attributable to the French military forces, the junta spokesman said.
The junta, which appointed a transitional prime minister earlier this month, has been keen to assert its authority promising to ensure Niger's stability.
France, a former colonial power in Niger, has maintained a military presence in the Sahel region as part of counterterrorism efforts. French officials are yet to comment on the accusations.
The U.S. Embassy in Niger's capital Niamey issued a security alert on Wednesday advising it citizens to exercise caution and adhere to safety measures in response to ongoing developments in the area.
"The U.S. Embassy advises U.S. citizens to shelter in place, limit unnecessary movements around town, and continue to avoid transiting the downtown and presidential palace area," it said in a statement.
