Niamey: anger and uncertainty following the start of demolitions near the airport.

On Sunday, May 31, 2026, the municipal authorities of Niamey launched the eviction operation for occupants of four subdivisions located on the airport land of the Nigerien capital, affecting about 26,000 people. The operation involves the neighborhoods of Mutram, Alpha Djadi, Extension Alpha Djadi, and Extension Kobontafa, situated on land title No. 784 assigned to the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) since 1953.

The authorities cite two main justifications. The first is security-related: illegal constructions near Diori Hamani International Airport risk violating aeronautical obstacle limitation surfaces and making the infrastructure vulnerable. The second is directly linked to the jihadist attack from January 28 to 29, 2026, on Base Aérienne 101 and Niamey Airport. “The presence of illegal homes near the airport is not only a factor of congestion but also a serious threat to national security,” stated the governor of the Niamey region, Major General Assoumane Abdou Harouna, during a press briefing on May 7. The four affected subdivisions occupy 19% of the space of land title 784, amounting to 269.35 hectares.

The operation began despite the lack of clarification regarding financial compensations. In front of demolition machines, residents and local youths dismantled the roofs of their homes before their destruction and salvaged iron and materials to sell, according to reports from the Nigerien News Agency.

A case over ten years old, reignited by the January attack

This eviction is not a new principle. An initial deadline had already been set for the occupants on May 5, 2013, which was not executed. Official correspondence from November 2025 from the Ministry of Urban Planning had instructed municipal delegates to prohibit any new constructions incompatible with air navigation. It was the attack on Base Aérienne 101 in January 2026 that triggered the action. A committee tasked with dialogue, communication, and security monitoring was established by a decree from the Ministry of the Interior dated March 30, 2026, to oversee the operation.

Residents contest the designation of illegal occupation. Many claim to have legitimately acquired their land from developers and possess documentation of occupancy. The tension between titles issued by state subdivisions and the prior land title of ASECNA is at the heart of the dispute. The authorities have acknowledged the existence of “legitimate victims” – those who bought their plots in good faith from developers who themselves were in violation – and have promised that they would be compensated, without specifying the modalities or the amount.

The summons on May 7 granted occupants a deadline of three and a half weeks to vacate the premises. Residents deemed this timeframe insufficient given the size of the households involved – 26,000 people represent several thousand families – and the lack of relocation solutions offered by the authorities. Several property owners remained optimistic about the possibility of obtaining an extension, according to the ANP, but the authorities refused any prolongation.

The operation is taking place against the backdrop of the unique political context following the coup in Niger: since July 2023, local authorities and most counter-power institutions have either been dissolved or deactivated. There is no institutional forum for the population to formally contest such decisions before an independent jurisdiction in a timely manner.