Algerian President Confirms Coup Attempt in Niger Was Meant to Provoke Algeria

Algiers, 3 Oct (KUNA) -- Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said on Saturday that the coup attempt targeting Niger at the end of last August was intended to provoke Algeria, adding that his country was prepared for any military confrontation to defend the security and stability of the Sahel region. In televised and radio statements on Saturday evening, President Tebboune said the coup attempt came hours after Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Lamine Zine left Algeria following a two-day official visit during which he met his Algerian counterpart, Aymen Benabderrahmane, and President Tebboune. He considered that the coup attempt that took place on 28 and 29 August in Niger was aimed at directly provoking Algeria by unspecified parties. He added, “We dispatched four Su-27 fighter jets to underscore our rejection of any attempt to undermine the stability of Niger or the Sahel region, as certain actors have overstepped in their plans.” (End) M.R. / M.M.J.