Chad has rejected Niger’s accusations that it was involved in a drone strike on Nigerien territory with French backing, while Niamey summoned the Chadian ambassador and lodged a formal protest, in a diplomatic escalation between the two countries.

Niamey’s account: a strike before dawn on Saturday near Imme Loulou

Niger’s government said the strike took place at about 1 a.m. on Saturday, October 24, in the Imme Loulou area of the Agadez region, killing two civilians, wounding others and damaging vehicles, according to a statement carried by state media.

Niamey accused Chad of carrying out the attack from its territory with France’s support, saying investigations by the defense and security forces and the judicial authorities had found “matching material and technical elements” identifying the origin of the strike, and that it would place this evidence at the disposal of the competent international bodies.

The statement also accused Chad of providing strategic depth to mercenaries targeting Nigerien civilians and strategic and energy installations, accusations N’Djamena rejected.

N’Djamena: no help to any foreign force, and support for an international inquiry

Chad’s Minister of Communication and government spokesman, Kassim Chérif Mahamat, said in a statement broadcast on state television on Tuesday, October 27, that his country rejects the accusations and denies providing any assistance to a foreign force for a hostile act against Niger.

The Chadian government said it supports an international investigation and called for evidence to be produced for the accusations made against it.

Formal protest and a move toward the Security Council

Niger’s Justice Minister Aliou Daouda, acting foreign minister, received the Chadian ambassador in Niamey on Tuesday to deliver his country’s protest over the strike, according to the Nigerien news agency.

The Nigerien government announced it intends to refer the matter to the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, and to call for an independent international investigation. It also announced stepped-up surveillance of its airspace and border areas, stressing its right to defend its territory and people.

The available statements alone do not allow independent verification of the strike’s origin or of the responsibility of the accused parties, and the two countries’ accounts differ.