Niger Claims Control of Airbase After Mutiny

Niger’s authorities have stated they have regained control of a vital military airbase in Niamey after it was attacked by mutinous soldiers on Saturday. The pre-dawn assault, which involved “hundreds of disaffected soldiers,” led to several hours of intense fighting around the capital, including near the presidency and the airbase itself.

The airbase, co-located with Niamey’s civilian airport, is a strategic hub housing military aircraft, drones, and a counter-terrorism unit of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a bloc that includes Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Russian and Italian forces are also present at the facility.

This is not the first time the airbase has been targeted this year. It previously faced attacks in January and June from affiliates of the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, respectively. The recent mutiny underscores the deep-seated tensions within Niger’s armed forces, which have been struggling to combat persistent jihadist insurgencies from West Africa’s al-Qaeda and Islamic State groups.

State media aired footage purporting to show mutineers surrendering, though these reports have not been independently verified by Reuters. Three security sources indicated that the Presidential Guard played a role in defending the government. As of Sunday morning, military ruler Abdourahamane Tiani had not made any public statements.

Niger, a nation rich in uranium, oil, and gold, has been under military rule since a July 2023 coup. However, leader Tiani, like his counterparts in Mali and Burkina Faso, has struggled to curb the escalating jihadist violence. Recent deadly assaults by the Islamic State affiliate in southwestern Niger have claimed the lives of numerous soldiers, fueling frustration within frontline military units.

The mutiny further compounds the challenges faced by Tiani’s government, which has increasingly distanced itself from Western partners, forged closer ties with Russia, and withdrawn from the ECOWAS regional bloc. The unrest also occurs as the government tightens its grip on the uranium sector, having seized assets from French company Orano, a significant supplier of nuclear fuel to Europe.