Niger's military 'gradually regaining control' after mutiny at military base

Niger's military on Saturday said it was "gradually regaining control" after mutineers started holding soldiers hostage at a military base next to the capital's airport and fired shots.

In a statement read out on public television and signed by Defence Minister General Salifou Mody, authorities called on the public to "remain calm and freely go about their business."

The statement said that "a group of soldiers acting in breach of military regulations attempted to detain some of their comrades at the Base 101 barracks in Niamey and opened fire on several sensitive sites in the city. The prompt reaction of the defence and security forces made it possible to contain this mutiny and gradually regain control of these sites."

"Insurgents from within the armed forces" also tried to enter the presidential palace in Niger's capital Niamey on Saturday, security sources told AFP, but were repelled by the presidential guard.

Overnight, residents reported hearing heavy gunfire in several neighbourhoods of the capital, near the presidential palace and around the airport, which is home to a major military base.

The first shots were heard at about 1 am local time and continued until daybreak, according to a video published by a local journalist filming the area around the airport.

Another local resident said he heard "bursts of gunfire" at about 7 am local time.

"I went to get credit for my phone. I saw a military vehicle heading towards the base that had to turn back," he added.

"The weapons we're hearing are not the kind that terrorists on motorbikes can carry. The fighting has been non-stop since last night."

Another resident in the west of Niamey said he heard sporadic small arms fire at about 5 am.

Several social media posts also reported shooting and explosions in the city, particularly in the administrative area where the presidential palace and national television station are located.

State television was off air for over an hour before being restored at around 10 am.

The origins of Saturday's shooting were not immediately clear but in a post on its official social media pages the military said: "In light of current events, let us remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information. Our defence and security forces have been mobilised for the defence of the homeland."

Jihadist attacks

Niger has been ruled for three years by a military junta that has struggled to contain jihadist violence, which has blighted the west African country for around a decade.

The military base at the airport has seen two previous attacks this year, first by the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS) in January, then in late June by their rivals the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), the Sahel branch of Al-Qaeda.

The jihadist groups not only target civilians and the military but are also struggling for dominance over each other in the Sahel, and especially in Niger.

General Abdourahamane Tiani, head of the military regime that emerged from a coup in July 2023, spoke in January of "a flaw in the system" that "enabled the attack", whose "objective was to destroy all of the air capabilities" of the army.

The EIS and JNIM are also active in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali, allies of Niger and also ruled by military juntas that seized power in coups.

Air Force Base 101, located within the international airport complex, is home to the headquarters of Niamey's Russian Africa Corps partners and the command of the unified force of the Alliance of Sahel States, of which Niger is a member with Burkina Faso and Mali.

The site is sensitive. Between December and January, it hosted a large shipment of uranium concentrate, which was held up while awaiting export. No movement of the shipment has been identified since.