Nigerian authorities say they have regained control of a key military airbase in the capital, Niamey, after hundreds of mutinous soldiers attacked the facility, in a fresh challenge to the country’s military rulers.
The fighting at Air Base 101, located alongside Diori Hamani International Airport, lasted several hours on Saturday before government forces regained control, according to Reuters.
The mutiny is the latest sign of pressure within Niger’s armed forces, which have struggled to contain a worsening jihadist insurgency despite the military junta’s promise to restore security after taking power in a 2023 coup.
The attackers targeted the airbase and other strategic sites in Niamey, while gunfire and explosions were reported around the capital. State television and radio were temporarily taken off air during the unrest.
Niger’s authorities said security forces had contained the mutiny and restored control of the affected areas.
Russian forces assist Niger’s military
Russia’s Africa Corps was called in to help Nigerien forces suppress the mutiny, according to Reuters.
The airbase is an important military installation that houses aircraft, drones and counterterrorism units. It is also used by forces from the Alliance of Sahel States, the regional grouping formed by Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso after the three countries broke with the Economic Community of West African States.
The presence of Russian personnel at the base reflects Niger’s growing military relationship with Moscow since the junta pushed out Western forces following the 2023 coup.
Growing frustration inside the military
The mutiny comes as Niger continues to face attacks by armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State despite the junta’s efforts to reorganise its security partnerships.
Reuters reported that analysts see mounting frustration among soldiers, particularly over battlefield losses, as a factor behind the unrest.
That creates a difficult problem for General Abdourahamane Tiani, who seized power in the July 2023 coup after overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum.
The junta came to power promising to improve security, but jihadist violence has remained a major threat across Niger’s western and southeastern regions. The latest unrest suggests that dissatisfaction may now be reaching inside the forces responsible for fighting those insurgencies.
Another attack on a strategic site
The incident also marks another episode of unrest around Niamey’s main airport.
Air Base 101 has previously come under attack, including an assault by Islamic State-linked fighters earlier this year. The latest mutiny therefore adds a second security challenge at a strategically important military complex.
Niger has sharply changed its foreign and security policy since the 2023 coup, ending military cooperation with former Western partners and strengthening ties with Russia while withdrawing from ECOWAS alongside Mali and Burkina Faso.
For the junta, the immediate priority is to re-establish control over the armed forces. But the mutiny raises a broader question about whether growing battlefield pressure and dissatisfaction among troops could become a serious threat to the military government itself.
