Niger Military Government Claims Control After Mutiny

The military leadership in Niger, which took power following a coup in 2023, announced on Sunday that it had successfully quashed a violent 24-hour uprising, purportedly with assistance from Russian mercenaries.

The unrest started on Friday night with reports of gunfire between government troops and the mutineers near the main airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger. This airport complex houses a military base and is situated close to the presidential palace.

The rebellion was led by young special forces officers who usually operate outside of Niamey. They executed simultaneous assaults on several key sites including Diori Hamani Airport, the presidential palace, and a national guard camp nearby, and they sought to take control of Niger’s public television station.

The television station remained silent until 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, when a news anchor read a message from Defense Minister Gen. Salifou Mody. He stated that “a group of soldiers, in breach of military regulations, attempted to detain some of their comrades at Base 101 in Niamey and opened fire on certain sensitive sites within the city.”

Mody continued, stating, “The prompt reaction of the defense and security forces succeeded in containing this heated moment, allowing them to gradually regain control of these locations.”

However, reports from Niamey suggested that, despite the firm declarations, the mutineers remained in charge of Air Base 101 until late Saturday afternoon. There were attempts to persuade senior officers to join their movement against the junta leader, Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani.

Tiani managed to maintain his hold on power throughout that chaotic afternoon, relying on his loyal presidential guard, a unit he once commanded during his 12-year defense of Niger’s civilian presidents before he overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum in 2023. Additionally, he received support from the Africa Corps, previously known as the Wagner Group.

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Sunday that Tiani’s junta had successfully repelled the attack with support from “servicemen from the African Corps of the Russian Ministry of Defense.”

Niger, alongside its junta allies Mali and Burkina Faso, has increasingly turned to Russian mercenaries for security as they distance themselves from Western governments and the African Union. French counterterrorism troops were expelled from Niger in December 2023.

The juntas have been bolstering their military forces by employing Russian troops from the notorious Wagner Group, once led by Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Prigozhin staged his own mutiny against Russian President Vladimir Putin in June 2023, later dying under unclear circumstances in a plane crash in August. The Russian government subsequently assumed control of the Wagner Group, rebranding it as the Africa Corps.

In a parallel to Prigozhin’s rebellion against Putin regarding the grim realities of the Ukraine invasion, Tiani’s soldiers seemed to revolt out of frustration over continuous assaults from jihadist groups. The mutineers were reportedly those who had battled against jihadi forces in the Sahel region.

The mutineers expressed their anger over substandard equipment, low wages, and insufficient food rations. They initially had the advantage over Tiani’s loyal guard until two or three hundred Russian Africa Corps troops in Niger intervened. On Saturday, numerous rebel soldiers were either killed or captured, with many prisoners presented to the media.

Russian Ambassador to Niger, Viktor Voropayev, mentioned that military officials from Niger expressed their gratitude to the Africa Corps personnel for helping to suppress the rebellion.

The Alliance of Sahel States, formed by the juntas of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso in 2023, condemned the “betrayal” of the mutiny’s perpetrators while praising the “bravery and professionalism” of the loyal forces that “contained and thwarted” the coup attempt.

According to the Premium Times of Nigeria, the atmosphere in Niamey remains tense, with “armed soldiers” and “tactical armored vehicles” seen patrolling the streets.

The Premium Times also reported that the mutineers first targeted the Russian mercenaries, which drove the latter to defend themselves. The Russians later joined forces with the Nigerien Presidential Guard to quell the uprising at Tiani’s request.

Researcher Hasret Kargin noted that the mutiny was sparked by Tiani’s military government conducting a hostage exchange with jihadis, trading four al-Qaeda-affiliated fighters for 11 captured soldiers. The mutineers were frustrated with Tiani for breaking his promise to combat jihadis rather than making compromises with them.

Tiani himself stayed out of sight on Monday but reportedly communicated with other regional leaders via phone.

Senior researcher Yvan Guichaoua stated that the 24-hour mutiny posed the most significant threat to Tiani’s junta since its inception in 2023. He suggested that the outcome might have hinged on senior officers deciding at the last moment to stay loyal to Tiani, alongside the involvement of the Russian mercenaries, who took a forceful approach once engaged.

“It appears that kamikaze drones were employed heavily, likely persuading the rebel officers and soldiers to surrender due to the damage inflicted upon them,” he explained. “So, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that the Russians saved the day, or at least helped contain the rebellion and the coup attempt.”

Guichaoua anticipated that Tiani would emerge from this incident more reliant on Moscow than ever for support.

“One probable outcome is that there will need to be some rebuilding within the ranks to restore a level of unity. While it sends a message to any potential challengers, it could also create a sharper divide between the presidential guard and the Russians on one side, versus the rest of the army on the other,” he indicated.