NIAMEY, Aug. 30 — Niger said it had regained control of a key military airbase in the capital Niamey after an attack by soldiers on Saturday, in an incident that has highlighted tensions within the country’s armed forces.
Explosions and gunfire were reported in several parts of Niamey, including the military airbase and areas around the presidential complex. The airbase, located within the same complex as the city’s civilian airport, hosts military aircraft and drones as well as a counter-terrorism unit of the Alliance of Sahel States, which includes Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.
Niger’s state media said hundreds of soldiers were involved and that fighting continued for several hours as forces loyal to military leader Abdourahamane Tiani sought to regain control. It also broadcast footage that it said showed mutineers surrendering, although Reuters said it had not independently verified the report.
Three security sources said the Presidential Guard had rallied to Tiani’s defence. Tiani had not made any public appearance as of Sunday morning, according to the report.
The airbase had previously been targeted twice this year, including an attack in January by a regional Islamic State affiliate and another in June by a regional al Qaeda affiliate.
The incident comes as Niger continues to face an Islamist insurgency. Analysts and security sources cited by Reuters said frustration among some frontline military units has been increasing amid battlefield losses.
Niger has been governed by military officers since a July 2023 coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. Since taking power, Tiani’s government has reduced cooperation with Western partners, strengthened ties with Russia and withdrawn from the regional ECOWAS bloc.
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