Gambiaj.com – (NIAMEY, Niger) – Heavy gunfire and explosions rocked Niger’s capital, Niamey, overnight and into Saturday, with the military authorities saying they were gradually regaining control after what they described as an uprising by soldiers who had broken with the military hierarchy.
The violence was reported around the international airport and the adjoining Air Base 101, as well as near the presidential palace and other sensitive locations in the capital.
In a brief statement broadcast on state television around midday, Defense Minister General Salifou Mody said a group of soldiers had detained fellow troops and carried out gunfire against strategic sites in Niamey.
The military authorities described those involved as soldiers “in breach of military regulations” and referred to them as insurgents from within the armed forces.
However, the statement stopped short of describing the incident as a coup attempt, suggesting instead that the authorities viewed it as a rebellion or mutiny involving soldiers acting against their command.
The government said it was “gradually regaining control” of the situation and appealed to the population to remain calm and continue their normal activities.
Fighting Around Airport and Presidential Palace
The first sustained gunfire was reported in the middle of the night, particularly around Niamey’s airport and Air Base 101. Residents said they heard heavy exchanges of fire and explosions from around 1 a.m.
Sporadic small-arms fire was also reported in other parts of the capital, including the Koira Kano neighbourhood in western Niamey.
Air Base 101, located within the international airport complex, is a strategically important military installation. It hosts the headquarters of Niger’s Russian military partners, Africa Corps, as well as the command structure of the joint force of the Alliance of Sahel States, comprising Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
Reports also emerged of clashes near the presidential palace. A security source said the presidential guard had repelled armed insurgents from the military who allegedly attempted to enter the presidential compound.
Military personnel blocked access to both the presidency and the national television station on Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, individuals believed to be among the mutineers, who were reportedly entrenched at Air Base 101, circulated an anonymous audio recording on social media claiming that the country’s institutions had been dissolved.
The authenticity of the recording and the identity of those behind it could not immediately be independently verified.
State Television Briefly Goes Off Air
The unrest was further marked by an interruption to state television broadcasting.
Télé Sahel went off air for more than an hour on Saturday morning, with viewers seeing a black screen from around 9 a.m. before programming resumed shortly after 10 a.m.
Earlier, the military regime had urged citizens not to spread unverified information.
“Faced with the events under way, let us remain calm and avoid relaying unverified information,” the authorities said in a message posted on official social media platforms, adding that defense and security forces had been mobilized to protect the country.
The precise balance of forces and the full identity and objectives of those behind the uprising remained unclear by Saturday afternoon, while military barracks across Niamey were reportedly placed on maximum alert.
Airport Operations Disrupted
The latest violence comes after Niger’s international airport was attacked twice by jihadist groups earlier this year.
The airport was first targeted in January by Islamic State fighters and again in late June by the al-Qaeda-linked JNIM group. Both attacks were repelled by the military, although the June assault left 11 soldiers and two civilians dead.
Saturday’s fighting reportedly caused significant damage around the airport, disrupting operations and preventing aircraft from landing or taking off.
The incident represents one of the most serious internal security challenges facing General Abdourahamane Tiani’s military government since it seized power in a July 2023 coup.
As the situation remained fluid, authorities insisted they were restoring control, while uncertainty persisted over whether the violence was an isolated mutiny or a broader attempt to challenge the ruling military leadership.
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