Inside the 24-hour mutiny that threatened Niger's ruling junta

Niger has reclaimed control of a critical military airbase in the capital, Niamey, following an attack by mutinous soldiers on Saturday. This incident is the latest challenge to military ruler Abdourahamane Tiani, as his government grapples with containing a jihadist insurgency. The attack underscored the tensions within Niger's armed forces, which have suffered repeated battlefield losses while battling West Africa's al Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates.

Explosions and gunfire erupted across Niamey early on Saturday, targeting the military airbase and the presidential complex. The airbase, situated within the same complex as Niamey's civilian airport, houses military aircraft, drones, and a counter-terrorism unit from the Alliance of Sahel States, comprising Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

Additionally, Russian and Italian forces are stationed there. Russia provided assistance to neutralize the mutineers in Niamey, according to Viktor Voropaev, the Russian ambassador to Niger. The airbase had already been targeted twice this year, once by the regional Islamic State affiliate in January and by the regional al Qaeda affiliate in June.

State media reported that the attack involved "hundreds of disaffected soldiers" and that the fighting persisted for several hours as forces loyal to Tiani attempted to regain control. The Presidential Guard defended Tiani, as per three security sources. Tiani had not made any public appearances as of Sunday morning. Niger, a nation abundant in uranium, oil, and gold, has been under military rule since a July 2023 coup that removed President Mohamed Bazoum.

Tiani, like his counterparts in Burkina Faso and Mali, has struggled to curb the jihadist threat. The Islamic State affiliate has carried out multiple deadly assaults on the military in southwest Niger, including a recent attack that claimed the lives of 18 soldiers. The mutineers' operation involved soldiers from Niamey, as well as those stationed in the regions of Ouallam, Tera, and Dosso, where the army has sustained heavy casualties.

Analysts and security sources suggest that frustration within frontline units is growing, posing an additional vulnerability for Tiani beyond the insurgents. Since taking power, Tiani's government has distanced itself from Western partners, strengthened ties with Russia, and severed relations with the regional ECOWAS bloc. The unrest coincides with authorities tightening control over the uranium sector, having seized assets from France's Orano, a key supplier of nuclear fuel to Europe.