Algeria has rejected a French request to fly over its airspace for a military operation in Niger, following a coup in the West African nation last month.
The move comes as Algeria opposes any foreign military action in Niger and favors diplomacy to restore constitutional order.
France has about 1,500 troops stationed in Niger, but it is not clear what military operation Algeria was referring to. France has not said it would intervene militarily to overturn the military takeover.
West Africa’s main regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said last week it had agreed an undisclosed “D-Day” for a possible military intervention if diplomatic efforts fail.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune voiced Algerian fears about an armed response early this month, saying “a military intervention could ignite the whole Sahel region and Algeria will not use force with its neighbours.”
The North African country worries about repercussions such as an influx of migrants into its territory, a government source familiar with the situation told Reuters.
“We are against the coup but we are against a military action that would worsen the situation in Niger and beyond in the Sahel,” the source who asked not to be named told Reuters. French authorities did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
