Niger: situation under control after heavy gunfire heard in Niamey

In a statement read on national television, the Minister of National Defense, Army General Salifou Mody, indicated that “a group of soldiers breaking with military regulations” had undertaken to sequester some of their comrades in the barracks of Base 101 in Niamey and to carry out shooting on several sensitive sites in the city. “The prompt reaction of the defense and security forces made it possible to contain this mood and gradually regain control of these sites,” he added.

Gunshots and explosions have been heard since the middle of the night in several neighborhoods of the Nigerien capital, notably around the Diori-Hamani international airport, which adjoins military base 101, as well as near the administrative zone housing the presidency and national television. Several witnesses described a high intensity of shooting in the area of ​​the air base, while military reinforcements converged on the targeted areas.

According to security sources cited by several media, elements of the army and the presidential guard were deployed around the presidential palace to repel the attackers, while exchanges of fire continued in the morning in certain sectors of Niamey. A security source notably indicated to AFP that an attempt to enter the presidential palace had been repelled by the presidential guard.

National television was no longer broadcasting on Saturday morning, its signal having been interrupted amid the confusion arising from the clashes. Around 9:00 a.m. local time, a black screen replaced the Télé Sahel programs, according to residents cited by press.information.

The official press release, issued while the situation remained uncertain, called on the population to remain calm and freely go about their business. This instruction aimed to reassure a capital already marked by episodes of security tensions around strategic installations, Base 101 constituting a nerve point of the military system in Niamey.

Base 101, located in the airport complex, notably houses the headquarters of the unified force of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) as well as, according to certain sources, Russian partners present in Niamey. The area has already been targeted twice this year by jihadists, according to several articles from presse.information.

Since the July 2023 coup, Niger has been led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, and the military faces persistent security challenges, particularly in the west and southeast of the country. At the start of the day, the authorities had not given an official report on possible victims or specified the exact extent of the clashes.