Niger’s military government fought back from one of the most serious internal security challenges to its three-year rule on Saturday, with Russian forces helping the presidential guard recapture a strategic military air base in Niamey after mutinous soldiers attacked sensitive installations across the capital.
Hours of heavy gunfire and explosions rocked Niamey from shortly after midnight as rebel troops moved against military positions, attempted to penetrate the presidential palace and disrupted the state television service.
By Saturday evening, however, diplomatic and security sources said the presidential guard, supported by Russian forces, had retaken Air Force Base 101 near Diori Hamani International Airport.
“The presidential guard has retaken control of the air base with the help of the Russians,” a diplomatic source told AFP.
The source said several of the mutinous soldiers were killed during the operation, while two security sources also confirmed that the strategically important base had been recovered.
The intervention underscored the growing military relationship between Niger’s junta and Moscow following Niamey’s break with traditional Western partners after the July 2023 coup.
Base 101 is particularly sensitive because it houses the headquarters of Russia’s Africa Corps presence in Niamey.
It also serves as the command centre of the unified force of the Alliance of Sahel States, comprising Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali.
The dramatic military confrontation began during the early hours of Saturday when heavy gunfire and explosions erupted around several locations in the capital.
Residents reported sustained shooting around the airport complex and the administrative district where the presidential palace and other major government institutions are located.
The violence continued for hours.
Soldiers blocked access to the presidential palace while Niger’s state broadcaster, Tele Sahel, went off air for slightly more than an hour before transmission was restored later in the morning.
A security source said mutinous members of the armed forces attempted to force their way into the presidential palace but were repelled by the presidential guard.
“There was an attempt by insurgents from the Nigerien armed forces to enter the presidential palace,” the source said.
The confrontation raised immediate concerns over the stability of the government led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, who seized power in the July 2023 military takeover that removed elected President Mohamed Bazoum.
Niger’s Defence Minister, General Salifou Mody, later appeared on state television to assure citizens that security forces were restoring order.
Mody said a group of soldiers had detained some troops at a military barracks in Niamey before opening fire on what he described as “certain sensitive sites” in the capital.
He said security forces responded quickly and called on residents to remain calm.
The military authorities subsequently declared that they were gradually regaining control.
But even as the fighting subsided, the security situation remained uncertain for several hours.
A regional security source and an African diplomatic source said rebel troops continued to hold two military barracks around Niamey earlier on Saturday.
By evening, however, reports emerged that the presidential guard, with Russian assistance, had regained Base 101.
The battle for the air base was significant not only because of its military importance but also because of its geopolitical value.
Located inside the international airport complex, the installation accommodates Russian military personnel attached to the Africa Corps.
It is also linked to the security architecture of the Alliance of Sahel States, the regional grouping established by Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso after the three military-led governments withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States.
The base had also hosted a substantial shipment of uranium concentrate between December and January while arrangements were being made for its export.
Residents described a frightening night of continuous shooting.
One Niamey resident reported “heavy gunfire and explosions” around Base 101, while several other witnesses confirmed hearing the clashes.
Another resident said the intensity of the weapons suggested that the incident was different from the jihadist attacks that have repeatedly troubled the country.
“The weapons we’re hearing are not the kind that terrorists on motorbikes can carry,” the resident said.
“I saw a military vehicle heading towards the base that had to turn back.”
Videos circulated online showed armoured vehicles moving into positions around the airport neighbourhood as security forces reinforced strategic locations.
The military subsequently appealed to citizens to remain calm and avoid circulating unverified information.
Saturday’s mutiny added a new dimension to Niger’s worsening security crisis.
For years, the country has battled jihadist organisations operating across the Sahel, particularly in regions bordering Mali and Burkina Faso.
But this time, the threat came from within the country’s own armed forces.
The development presents a potentially more dangerous challenge for Tiani’s government because the junta itself came to power through military intervention and has repeatedly justified its rule on the promise of restoring security.
Since seizing power, the military administration has expelled or reduced cooperation with several Western military partners, particularly France, while building stronger security ties with Russia.
Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have pursued a similar strategy, drawing closer to Moscow while establishing the Alliance of Sahel States as an alternative political and security bloc.
Yet all three countries continue to confront deadly jihadist violence.
Niamey airport alone has already been targeted twice this year.
Islamic State in the Sahel attacked the area in January, while the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims launched another assault in June.
The two rival jihadist organisations have battled government forces and competed with each other for territory and influence across the Sahel.
Saturday’s mutiny, however, threatened to open another front for the Nigerien authorities: internal military discontent.
Reports indicated that some of the rebel soldiers came from areas where troops have suffered substantial losses in fighting jihadist groups.
The full motivation behind the mutiny had not been formally established by Saturday evening.
Supporters of the junta moved to demonstrate backing for the government, with calls for “sincere patriots” to gather at a major square in Niamey.
By late afternoon, dozens of supporters had assembled as military songs praising General Tiani played and preparations were made for speeches.
Neighbouring Algeria also condemned the unrest and expressed support for the Nigerien authorities.
For the Tiani government, recapturing Base 101 represents an important tactical victory.
But the episode has exposed another vulnerability in a country already battling insurgency, political isolation and growing security pressure.
Russian military assistance may have helped the presidential guard recover a critical installation, but the more consequential question for Niger’s junta will be whether Saturday’s revolt was an isolated mutiny or evidence of deeper divisions inside the armed forces.
For now, the junta insists it is back in control.
After a night in which gunfire reached the presidential palace, state television went dark and rebel soldiers seized strategic military positions, however, the events in Niamey have demonstrated how quickly the balance of power in Niger can come under threat.
