A failed mutiny in Niger has revealed tensions within the country’s armed forces and the extent of the military government’s reliance on Russian assistance, according to Al Jazeera.
On August 29, soldiers describing themselves as the Armed Forces for the Restoration of the Homeland attacked Air Base 101 at Niamey’s international airport, the presidential palace and the national broadcaster. A statement circulated during the fighting falsely claimed that President Abdourahamane Tchiani had been removed.
Loyalist presidential guard units held the palace overnight. About 200 Russian Africa Corps soldiers, supported by drones and reportedly reinforced from Mali and Libya, helped loyalist forces retake the airbase by the evening, the report said. At least 27 people were killed and about 100 suspected mutineers were arrested.
Ryan Cummings, head analyst at Signal Risk, told Al Jazeera that the attempted power grab reflected accumulated grievances among soldiers. He cited heavy casualties suffered by the military while fighting armed groups, as well as differences in deployment and pay between junior and middle-ranking troops and senior units such as the presidential guard.
Cummings said lower-ranking soldiers are generally sent to front-line positions facing increasingly capable armed groups, while senior units are more often stationed in cities including Niamey and Agadez. Despite facing a lower risk of combat, those senior forces generally receive higher remuneration, he said.
The episode also raised questions about the cohesion of the Alliance of Sahel States, which includes Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. Romane Dideberg of Chatham House told Al Jazeera that the other two military governments were largely unresponsive during the crisis and acted only after the mutiny had been neutralised. She attributed this partly to weaknesses in the alliance’s security arrangements and strained relations among its leaders.
Niger expelled French and American troops in 2023 and 2024, after which Russia’s Africa Corps entered the country. Al Jazeera said the mutiny suggested Moscow’s role now extends beyond combating armed groups to helping protect Niger’s military government. Allegations involving French and Emirati interests have also circulated, but the report said they had not been independently substantiated.