Niger announces containment of armed movement in capital Niamey and restoration of control over sensitive sites

Rabat, August 29 (KUNA) -- The Nigerien Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday the gradual restoration of control by defense and security forces over sensitive sites in the capital, Niamey, following the containment of an armed incursion in the city.

In a statement read on national television, Defense Minister General Salifou Modi said that the swift and effective response by security and defense forces had undermined the armed movement and secured vital facilities that had been targeted.

The statement clarified that gunfire began in the early hours of Friday night in the vicinity of the military base adjacent to Diori Hamani International Airport, before spreading to other areas of the capital, including the surroundings of the presidential palace and key government headquarters, without specifying the perpetrators.

Nigerien authorities have called on citizens to resume their daily lives normally following the restoration of security, emphasizing the need to maintain calm and obtain information only from official sources.

This development coincided with the resumption of regular programming on national television after an abrupt halt lasting several hours during the nighttime security disturbances.

The targeted area holds exceptional strategic importance, as it houses Air Base 101 within the international airport complex, facilities belonging to the Russian “Africa Corps,” and the headquarters of the Joint Force of the Sahel Alliance, which includes Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

Niamey has witnessed two attacks this year targeting the airport and the adjacent military base, which authorities said were repelled, amid ongoing security challenges posed by armed attacks in the border regions with Mali and Burkina Faso. (End) M.R.Y. / R.J.