Nigerien authorities say an inventory carried out at a military base in the capital after an attempted mutiny last month uncovered a large stockpile of heavy weapons, rockets, explosives and ammunition.
State broadcaster Télé Sahel said the inspection at Base 101 in Niamey, conducted after the August 29 unrest, revealed what it described as a “real war arsenal” belonging to members of the Special Reconnaissance Brigade under the Special Operations Command, known as BSR/COS.
The soldiers are accused of leading the mutiny, detaining fellow troops at the base and attacking strategic locations across Niamey.
According to Télé Sahel, the cache included 34 armed pickup trucks, two VBL light armoured vehicles — one of which was destroyed — and dozens of motorcycles.
Authorities also reported finding 382 Kalashnikov rifles, 36 RPG-7 rocket launchers, 30 PKM machine guns, 6,127 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, four sniper rifles, an 82 mm mortar and 17 automatic pistols, along with additional ammunition, magazines and communications equipment.
The broadcaster described the scale of the seizure as “staggering” and accused members of the unit of using military equipment entrusted to them to threaten the state.
It said the BSR/COS unit had been created, trained and equipped after the July 26, 2023 coup to combat militant groups and trafficking networks in Niger and across the Alliance of Sahel States.
Army calls on mutineers to return
Niger’s armed forces have meanwhile urged soldiers who took part in the August mutiny and remain away from their units to return.
The military instructed them to report individually to the gendarmerie school in Niamey or to regional gendarmerie brigades, bringing with them any weapons, ammunition or military equipment in their possession.
“The General Staff of the Armed Forces reaffirms its readiness to welcome all those who choose, in a spirit of responsibility and loyalty to the nation, to return to the ranks,” said a statement signed by armed forces chief of staff Major General Moussa Salaou Barmou.
The military also called on residents to report suspicious individuals in their neighbourhoods.
Separately, the Interior Ministry banned civilians from wearing full military uniforms or insignia in Niamey, citing the current security situation. The order exempts authorised government personnel, while warning that violators could face legal action.
Nigerien forces loyal to the authorities, including the presidential guard and Russian personnel from the Africa Corps, thwarted an attempted coup on August 29.
Defence Minister Lieutenant General Salifou Mody said mutinous soldiers briefly seized Base 101 at Diori Hamani International Airport and attacked several strategic sites across Niamey before the operation was defeated.
