France "is entering into an alliance with our neighbors to destabilize us, using Trojan horses," General Mohamed Toumba, the Nigerien Minister of the Interior, Public Security, and Territorial Administration, said.
France claimed that its troops were needed because local forces couldn't solve the security problem on their own. However, Toumba said that it only justified the deployment of French forces against "jihadism."
He added that French forces failed to provide security, acted with impunity, and avoided taking action. As a result, the situation deteriorated.
Toumba concluded that the Nigeriens must be doubly vigilant to contain the situation.