Niger's Military Council Announces Failure of 'Rebellion Attempt'
The ruling military council in Niger announced the “gradual restoration of control” over the situation following clashes between rebels and the Republican Guard at the presidential palace in Niamey.
In a statement signed by Defense Minister General Salifou Modi and broadcast on state television on Saturday, authorities reported that “a group of soldiers defying military regulations detained some of their comrades at Base 101 barracks in Niamey and fired upon sensitive sites in the city of Niamey.”
The statement added that “the swift response of the defense forces and security agencies allowed for the containment of this rebellion and the gradual restoration of control over these sites.”
Earlier, a West African security source told Agence France-Presse that “a group of rebels from the ranks of the Nigerien armed forces attempted to enter the presidential palace,” noting that “firefights were ongoing at the palace.”
An African diplomat in Niamey confirmed that “it is clear that the guard remains loyal for the time being” to General Abdourahamane Tiiani.
Tiiani has led Niger since the July 2023 coup and continues to hold deposed President Mohamed Bazoum in custody.
Niamey’s airport was previously targeted twice this year: first by the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) in January, and then by Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), the Sahel branch of al-Qaeda, in June, resulting in the deaths of 11 soldiers and civilians.
Base 101, located within the Niamey International Airport complex, houses the headquarters of the Unified Force of the “Sahel Alliance,” which includes Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, as well as the main command of the “Africa Corps” (formerly the Wagner Group), a force under the Russian Ministry of Defense that assists alliance countries in combating extremist groups.
The airport is a strategic target. Between December and January, a large quantity of uranium concentrates produced by Niger was stored there pending export. No movement of that shipment has been detected since then.
Since the mid-2010s, Niger has faced extremist groups also active in neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali.
The three countries under military rule formed the Alliance of Sahel States and moved closer to Russia after dissolving their alliance with France, their former primary partner in the fight against extremists.
