Niger’s military government says it has regained control of a strategic airbase in the capital, Niamey, after an armed mutiny triggered fierce overnight clashes around the airport and presidential palace.
State broadcaster Télé Sahel aired footage on Saturday evening showing a large group of detained soldiers accused of participating in the uprising at Air Base 101, located within the grounds of Niamey’s international airport.
The arrests followed an operation by forces responsible for protecting sensitive sites across the capital. Heavy gunfire and explosions had been reported overnight as mutinous soldiers clashed with units loyal to Niger’s military ruler, General Abdourahamane Tiani.
A diplomatic source told AFP that the presidential guard recaptured the airbase with help from Russian personnel, adding that some of the mutineers had been killed. Two security sources also confirmed that government forces had regained control, with one declaring that “the mutiny is over.”
Russia’s ambassador to Niger, Viktor Voropayev, earlier said Niamey had requested assistance from the Africa Corps to suppress the uprising, according to the Russian state-run Sputnik news agency. Members of the Russian force, which succeeded the Wagner Group’s operations in the region, are stationed at Air Base 101.
In a televised statement, Defence Minister General Salifou Mody said a group of soldiers had detained fellow servicemen inside the base before opening fire on several sensitive locations in Niamey.
“The rapid response of the defence and security forces made it possible to contain the mutiny and gradually regain control of these sites,” the statement said.
Conflicting accounts continued to emerge during the day. A regional security source said in the early afternoon that the mutineers still controlled three military compounds, including part of Air Base 101. Calm had largely returned to the city centre by late afternoon, according to residents.
Troops and armoured vehicles were deployed around the presidential palace and national television headquarters, while roads leading to the airbase were blocked. A West African security source said the mutineers had also attempted to enter the presidential compound.
An African diplomat in Niamey said the presidential guard appeared to have remained loyal to Tiani throughout the confrontation.
The Alliance of Sahel States, comprising Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, condemned what it described as a betrayal by soldiers involved in a destabilisation attempt. It said the plot had been contained through the actions of Niger’s “republican forces.”
Hundreds of Tiani supporters later gathered at a central square in Niamey after organisers called on “loyal patriots” to demonstrate in support of the military government. Speeches and songs praising Tiani were broadcast from a stage erected at the site.
Strategic airbase and uranium hub
Air Base 101 is of considerable strategic importance. It hosts the headquarters of the Alliance of Sahel States’ joint force as well as the main Nigerien base of Russia’s Africa Corps, which supports the three military-led governments in their fight against armed groups.
The airport complex has already faced two militant attacks this year. Daesh’s Sahel affiliate attacked it in January, while Al Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin launched another assault in June that reportedly killed 11 soldiers and two civilians.
The airport has also been used to store a large shipment of uranium concentrate produced in Niger and awaiting export. The material was held there between December and January, and no subsequent movement of the shipment has been reported.
The unrest comes as Niger’s military government tightens its control over the uranium industry after seizing assets formerly operated by French nuclear-fuel company Orano.
Niger was previously an important supplier of uranium to Europe, accounting for about 15 percent of Orano’s supplies when production was operating at full capacity. A government decree issued last week reassigned mining permits previously held by Orano and Canadian company GoviEx to state-backed enterprises.
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have strengthened their security relationships with Russia since distancing themselves from France, their former colonial power and principal Western counterterrorism partner.
Niger’s military government has repeatedly accused Paris of supporting armed groups to undermine the country, allegations France denies.
