Niger's Defense Ministry Says Soldiers Attempted Mutiny

On Saturday, Niger's Ministry of National Defense announced that a group of soldiers had attempted a mutiny, shooting at sensitive locations in the capital Niamey. Gunfire and explosions were heard across the city overnight, with attackers targeting Diori Hamani International Airport and attempting to breach the security perimeter around the presidency. Another attack occurred on Base 101, but the defense and security forces managed to regain control of the situation, according to lawmaker Bana Wagana Ibrahim.

The military stated that they were gradually regaining control following the mutiny, where soldiers had taken hostages at a base near the airport in Niamey. Authorities urged the public to remain calm and continue with their daily activities in a statement read out on public television by Defense Minister General Salifou Mody.

This latest assault adds to a series of threats to Niger's military junta, led by Abdourahamane Tchiani, who seized power in a coup in 2023. Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, has been governed by a military junta for years, struggling to combat a jihadist insurgency. Television signals in the country reportedly went off air after gunfire began at 1 a.m. local time, with Niamey having been targeted twice this year by jihadist groups: once by the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS) and again in June by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM).