🇳🇪Lamine Zeine Ali MahamanNiger · UNGA 81 speech

Mr. President of the General Assembly, Mr. Secretary-General, ladies and gentlemen, heads of state and government, Ladies and gentlemen, heads of delegation, ladies and gentlemen. I am taking the floor before this august assembly on behalf of my country, on behalf of His Excellency the General of the Army, Abdourahman Tchiani, President of the Republic of Niger, Head of State. to express the message of peace of the people of Niger, the sovereign people of Niger, a people that is committed to its dignity and to cooperation among nations. Mr. President, please accept the congratulations of Niger upon your election to the presidency of this 81st session of the General Assembly, as well as our thanks to your predecessor Her Excellency, Ms. Annalena Baerbock, and Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of our organization, whose second term will conclude on the 31st of December. Mr. President, the theme of this session, Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation, a United Nations that Delivers for All, perfectly chimes with the concerns of those peoples aspiring to peace and progress, even while bombs and other devices of mass destruction are endlessly causing death and devastation in every corner of our planet. How can we restore trust and manage transformation in the world so that the United Nations can effectively bring peace and good fortune to all peoples? How then can we achieve this goal? I would recall that our previous session called upon us to act better together. That message remains just and it remains relevant, but it requires us to take stock. to look at what has been accomplished and to acknowledge what has not been accomplished, because trust is not built through more and more promises, but rather through their effective implementation for the benefit of the peoples. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, trust cannot be decreed. It is built, it is earned, and it requires truth and justice. How to restore trust when for decades, propaganda has been used to maintain the idea of a poor Africa condemned to do everything it is told to do to survive thanks to the assistance of supposed international generosity, even while its resources, its riches are stolen and locked away for the benefit of other agendas. How to restore this trust when the international institutions that are supposed to protect us have become the tools of a world order in which some peoples count and others merely survive, and in which international law does not apply equally to all? What can we say of the crimes committed in Libya, in Iraq, in Palestine, in Lebanon, in Cuba, in Venezuela? and in our Sahel, the Sahel, in the name of supposedly universal values, which nevertheless remain unpunished, those crimes, even while sovereign nations are threatened with sanctions for simply having wanted to decide on their own fate. Niger, my country, is following with deep concern the tragic situation in Palestine, particularly in Gaza. where civilians are paying an unbearable human cost. We call for the effective protection of civilian populations, for unhindered humanitarian access, and for the pursuit of just and lasting peace. Niger reaffirms its support for a two-state solution, allowing the State of Palestine and the State of Israel to live side by side in peace, security, and dignity. How to restore trust when 81 years after San Francisco, Africa, with its more than around 1.5 billion inhabitants and its 54 states, still does not have a single permanent seat on the Security Council. Through me, Niger reaffirms its commitment to the Azawad consensus and calls for this historic anomaly to no longer be the subject of sterile debates repeated day after day to at long last become subject to a full and concrete decision. Excellencies, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, our Sahel is

At war. It is in a war of liberation against a conspiracy aimed at recolonizing it. What is happening in the Sahel is not merely, not simply an armed rebellion or a war of religion, nor is it the inevitable result of our own weaknesses. What some call terrorism in our region is the cynical machinery of recolonization dressed in the trappings of extremism But the real motivation of which lies elsewhere. In a covetousness. For the significant resources that God has placed in our land. Niger's uranium, Mali and Burkina Faso's gold, lithium, gas, oil. and so many other riches still make the former colonial powers salivate. They want to make us believe that we are incapable of governing, of governing ourselves, incapable of producing, of thinking, and of defending ourselves. They want to make us believe and convince us that we do not have the science, the intelligence or the sovereignty needed to build something precious by and for ourselves, and that as a consequence, therefore, we should accept the tutelage of Emmanuel Macron's France and his allies. A France which very often acts through its local proxies, networks and complicity. For centuries, they have instilled self-deprecation, fear, and resignation. They continue to want to introduce permanent conflict in communities which since time immemorial have been living in harmony in the same space and which have created peaceful mechanisms for settling disputes, such as joking kinship, for example. This perfidious attempt to destabilize the Central Sahel, conducted by France with the active complicity of Ukraine, is now documented, widely documented. This criminal enterprise has been unmasked now that the military, political and media elites that justify it in the name of their own country's interests have themselves removed their veils and removed their masks. I say solemnly from this rostrum, The Sahel sees, the Sahel hears, the Sahel remembers, and the Sahel understands things very well. Our Sahel is determined to defend its liberty, its resources, and its dignity at any cost. A people that has decided to be free cannot be recolonized through fear, through deceit, nor even through savage violence. Ladies and gentlemen, as I speak to you on our northeastern border, there are proxies led by that France, supported by Ukraine and two other countries. and you know which countries I'm alluding to. Those proxies are armed, managed, and led, and they are about to attack our military positions and our oil installations. But inshallah, they will find what they deserve if they do so. The AES, the result of a long and historic struggle of our peoples against colonization and neocolonialism, is now an irreversible process towards our country's sovereignty. Make no mistake, the century that we are living in marks the end of old hegemonies and the awakening of thus far suppressed forces. The AES is to Africa, its historic and contemporary diasporas, as light is to darkness. It is for this human community that is present around the world, a source of hope and of dignity. And I say this before the world so that the world can understand. The AES is the result of a movement that dates from the dawn of time. It is a profound lusting irrepressible and irreversible change, inshallah. A change which, by trimming the sharp claws of imperialism, abolishing the trade in black persons and slavery, overthrowing colonialism and neocolonialism, is bringing the peoples of Africa towards independence, sovereignty and liberty. I affirm that our re-foundation in Niger is not targeted against anyone. It is an expression of our will to rely on ourselves, to have total control over our resources, and also responsibility for our choices and our alliances. The head of state, President Tchiani, has consistently said this. The only thing we are asking for is that we be left to manage our own destiny. We have never been driven out of a desire to trouble anyone else. So for us, it is simply a matter of moving towards the choice and supporting the choice that we have decided upon with our people behind us. Our organization must understand this truth. The sovereignty of our state is not negotiable. Our resources belong to our peoples. Our future will no longer be decided elsewhere. Ladies and gentlemen, this is an opportunity to commend the courage of our defense and security forces and to pay tribute to all of our civilian and military martyrs. who have lost their lives in the struggle for our full and total liberty. I bow down before their memory. May their souls rest in peace. I would also here like to commend the memory of the late General Sadio Camara, Minister of Defence of Mali. whose ultimate sacrifice will forever be associated with the history of the Confederation of the States of the Sahel. May Allah grant him eternal paradise. Amen. Ladies and gentlemen, we remain open to any security cooperation, of course, which takes into account our strategic interests, mutual interests, and respect for our sovereignty. With Burkina Faso and Mali, Niger, within the Confederation of Sahel States, is developing cooperation that is focused on defense and security, diplomacy and development. This responds to a requirement for solidarity between peoples that face common challenges. On the 16th of September 2023 in Bamako, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso signed the Liptako Gourma Charter, giving birth to the Alliance of Sahel States. On 6 July 2024, in Niamey, our three Heads of State, President Assimi Goita of Mali, President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso, and President Abdourahamane Tiani of Niger, took the historic step of creating the Confederation of Sahel States. Two years later, The institutional structure of this confederation is practically complete. A unified force of 5,000 men is conducting the coordinated fight against the mercenaries afflicting our three territories on our borders. This force can be mobilized to a ceiling of 15,000 men, that must be underscored. A confederation investment and development bank has been created. It finances our projects and programs using our own resources. A confederation biometric passport has been in use since the 29th of January 2025. A television channel, a press agency, and a shared radio carry the voice and the message of the AES. More recently, From the 26th to the 29th of August 2026, the first meetings of the Confederation Parliament were held in Niamey, thus completing our institutional architecture. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, Niger is a country of peace, truly a country of peace. It has never brought war and it will not bring war against another country. It is determined to defend itself and to control its natural resources. It is very important for us to say this. We have chosen transformation that is based on national responsibility, making use of our resources, strengthening our institutions, and tangibly improving the living conditions of our citizens. Since the 26th of July 2023, Niger has been continuing its inexorable march towards the total reconquest of its sovereignty under the leadership of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland, led by the President, His Excellency, the General of the Army, Abdourahman Tchiani, President of the Republic, Head of State. This change is a radical break with the policies imposed from outside, which were disconnected from the real needs of the population. It is rooted in the social values of the people of Niger. Aware of the challenges that it faces, the government, which I coordinate, has chosen to mobilize the necessary resources to finance agriculture and basic social sectors through funds from voluntary contributions of Nigerians themselves, in addition to revenues drawn from the exploitation of our mineral and oil resources, revenue which previously the state did not have control over. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, a few days ago, in the night from the 28th to the 29th of August 2026, after two previous fruitless attempts to attack Djoudi Hamani International Airport in Niamey, a third attempt, which General Chani said, a third attempt at destabilization led by obscurantist and colonialist forces targeted our institutions. As in the previous cases, it failed. It failed thanks to the loyalty of our forces, of our defense and security forces, and the loyalty of our armed forces. It failed thanks to the solidarity of our allies and to the categorical refusal of the Nigerien people to go backwards. Niger emerges from this united and determined. Investigations are underway. The necessary investigations are underway in order to establish the circumstances, who is responsible, and the internal and external support linked to this attempt. Following that procedure, Niger reserves the right, in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law, to turn to and have recourse to the competent mechanisms to defend its sovereignty. In this regard, We ask that any concern a member state may have about their security be examined with haste and impartiality without differentiated treatment. The credibility of our organization, Mr. President, also depends on its ability to ensure that the voices of all of its member states are heard. You have a lot of work to do, Mr. President. Niger is not pursuing confrontation with any country. It opens its arms to all partners that wish to build a new relationship based on equality, reciprocity, and mutual interest and shared interest. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, for more than half a century, uranium, this miraculous substance. Niger's uranium has lit the cities of Europe, while our cities have remained in darkness. That injustice is now over. It is at an end. In June 2025, the state of Niger recovered control of SOMAIRE, the Societe des Mines de l'Aire. Our resources will now be managed by us and for us. And Niger intends to sell its uranium on the international market in full transparency and in strict compliance with its nuclear nonproliferation obligations. You will have heard at some point in the past France say that Niger was intending to use this uranium when they left our country they they sabotaged all of the material and Niger has invested some 30 billion of our francs to continue that production totally making use of Nigerian workers and experts not a single foreigner was involved in that The current stock belongs to our country, it does not belong to anyone, and we will sell it to all those who wish to buy, in total transparency, as I have just said. Similarly, in 2024, our country became an exporter of crude oil, thanks to the oil pipeline linking Agadem to the Atlantic coast. along the African continent, the longest one in the African continent, making Niger one of the continent's fastest growing economies in 2025. That revenue is going into our own security, to agriculture, electrification, water and sanitation, education, health, the health of our fellow citizens. And the Solidarity Fund for the Safeguarding of the Homeland, which is made-up of the voluntary contributions of millions of Nigerians, tells you everything you need to know about a people that has understood that sovereignty has a price and that it is willing to pay it. Ladies and gentlemen, three years after breaking with the old order, Progress on the ground is remarkable. Our economy has seen 7% growth in 2026, in 2025, excuse me, driven above all by oil and agriculture. Inflation, which reached 9.1% in 2024, has fallen to -4.7%, thanks to exceptional agricultural production and a targeted reduction of fuel and cement prices. All of the country's riches will be redistributed to benefit our population. The large-scale irrigation program initiated by the President of the Republic has 527 billion CFA francs and aims to ensure that around 22,000 hectares of new irrigated land can be established. The results achieved in this regard are very satisfactory because for the first time in decades, our country has not faced food shortages or had to call upon foreign assistance. Through this program, we intend to halve our grain imports by the end of 2027, insha'Allah. On health, we have reduced by 50% the cost of services in public health facilities. Some services are free, for example, childbirth, care for children aged 0 to 5, and dialysis. The assisted birth rate went from 36% in 2022 to 42.5% in 2025, and the rate of prenatal consultations went from 38% to, it went from 32% to 38.2%. Education is free and mandatory for all children in public schools. What's more, a 20% reduction in school fees in private schools was decided upon in July 2025. These instructions that are contained in the programme for the refoundation of the Republic 2025-2029 make up the reference framework for all of the state's actions in pursuit of the structural transformation of our economy. These results are very encouraging, despite the scale of the challenges, because they are our results that we have achieved through our own means and resources. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, three years ago, some people predicted that Niger would collapse under the weight of sanctions and isolation. Today, Niger is standing tall. It is standing tall because its people have refused to bow down. It is standing tall because within the Confederation of Sahel States, it has found a family, solidarity, and a family in the full African meaning of the term. It is standing tall because the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, a kindred and neighboring country, chose to support us with a substantial investment in the exploitation of our natural resources and through constant support for our defense system. With Algeria, we are also engaging in dynamic cooperation in the areas of health, education, energy, water, and agriculture. On top of that, There are significant structural projects, such as the tripartite gas pipeline and the Trans-Sahara Road. Niger is above all standing tall because it has regained possession of its land, what lies beneath the land, and of its voice. Mr. President, our country is also standing tall because it is speaking within our shared organization, the UN, and because among its members, We count countries with which we have fruitful cooperation based on mutual respect. And in this regard, allow me to say that Togo, Turkia, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Russian Federation, and the People's Republic of China are among our friends. True friends. On behalf of the President of the Republic, the Head of State, I would like to express our full gratitude to them. Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Niger remains faithful to the values included in its motto, "Fraternity, Work and Progress", and to the values in the motto of our confederation, "One Space, One People, One Destiny". The security, development and dignity of our peoples cannot be envisaged separately. We have understood that, and that is why we stand closely together. We believe in international relations rooted in cooperation, dignity, sovereignty and mutual respect. We are convinced that no country, however powerful it may be, can claim to be the world's policeman. That time is over. To conclude, Niger respects others' choices and is not asking anyone to share our choices. We ask everyone to respect those choices. Niger intends to fully exercise its sovereignty over its natural resources and will never again accept any restriction imposed from outside on its sovereign right to freely choose its partners. That right is inalienable and it is non-negotiable. We declare that trust will be reborn when every nation, big or small, is treated with the same consideration, when the right to sovereign equality, to territorial integrity, to freely choose one's partners, and to non-interference, when those rights are respected. This is the condition for restoring trust, for making transformation just, and for the United Nations to truly provide results for all, and for the United Nations to be respected by all. and for the United Nations to ensure that it is respected and to ensure that everyone believes it is an organization for all. Long live international cooperation. Long live the Confederation of Sahel States. Long live the Republic of Niger. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your kind attention.