Mali and Niger Accuse France, Côte d'Ivoire, and Benin of Sponsoring Terrorism at Dakar Security Forum

At a security forum in Dakar, Senegal on April 21–22, 2026, foreign ministers from both Mali and Niger delivered pointed public accusations against neighboring states and France for sponsoring jihadist armed groups operating in the Sahel. Mali's Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop accused unnamed neighboring states of 'harbouring and supporting' armed groups conducting attacks against Mali, and raised the issue of Ukrainian mercenaries allegedly fighting alongside Tuareg separatist forces (Front de Libération de l'Azawad) in northern Mali — an accusation with geopolitical resonance given the concurrent Russia-Ukraine war and Russia's Africa Corps presence in Mali. Niger's Foreign Minister went further, explicitly naming France, Benin, and Côte d'Ivoire as powers 'feeding and financing' militants attacking Niger — the most direct Nigerien ministerial accusation to date formally linking French state structures to active support for jihadist groups. Benin and Côte d'Ivoire have both hosted French military assets and maintained security cooperation with the West, and both countries have been repeatedly targeted by JNIM/IS-Sahel expansion into their northern territories. Niger's FM statement reflects a recurring AES junta narrative framing Western counter-terrorism partnerships as a strategic cover for destabilizing AES states. The forum accusations represent a deliberate diplomatic escalation that follows the April 18–19 Togo-brokered Lomé dialogue and the April 17 AES Unified Force announcement — suggesting the juntas are simultaneously building their own security architecture while maintaining an aggressive rhetorical offensive against Western engagement. France has not issued a formal response. The Dakar statements were carried by multiple Tier-2 African and international outlets, confirming they were deliberate diplomatic communications rather than off-the-record remarks.