Description
This paper explores how conspiracy theories about foreign military presence undermined state legitimacy in Niger and contributed to the success of the 2023 coup. Between 2022 and 2024, conspiracy theories circulated widely claiming that French forces were covertly supporting jihadist groups and extracting resources through hidden infrastructure. I treat conspiracy theories as articulations of anxieties that many Nigeriens felt about the Nigerien state and its relationship with its former colonial power, France. Drawing on 130 interviews carried out between 2022 and 2024, I identify three themes: the failure of superior Western military technology to protect Nigeriens despite securing Westerners; the paradox of jihadist success against technologically advanced militaries; and fears about clandestine resource extraction. These narratives, while often employing dramatic and sometimes fantastical imagery, gave voice to valid concerns about who the state actually served and protected. By dismissing these theories as ignorance rather than engaging with their underlying grievances about sovereignty and differential protection, President Bazoum's government appeared complicit in neocolonial power arrangements, weakening its legitimacy. This analysis contributes to debates on how foreign military interventions shape state-society relations.
