Gunfire rocks Niger capital as soldiers rebel at strategic air base amid coup attempt

A group of soldiers in Niger rebelled against senior officers at a strategic military base and fired at sensitive locations in the capital, Niamey, in an apparent mutiny that triggered hours of gunfire and explosions, authorities said on Saturday.

Sustained firing and explosions were heard overnight and into Saturday morning near Diori Hamani International Airport, which houses the military facility known as Base 101. Similar disturbances were reported in the Plateau administrative district, where the presidential palace and several important government institutions are situated.

Niger’s Defence Minister, General Salifou Mody, said some soldiers had taken officers hostage at the base and opened fire on sensitive sites in what he described as a breach of military discipline and regulations.

Authorities later regained control of the situation, he said. Details about casualties, arrests or the identities and demands of those involved were not immediately available.

Security forces were deployed around the airport and throughout the Plateau district, while a major road leading into Niamey was closed. State broadcaster RTN suspended its live transmission for several hours on Saturday morning before resuming operations.

The ruling National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland appealed for unity and vigilance, saying the country’s defence and security forces had been mobilised.

“Our Defence and Security Forces are mobilised for the Defence of the Fatherland. Let us remain united, vigilant and supportive,” the military council said in a Facebook post.

Local lawmaker Bana Wagana Ibrahim described the incident as a “cowardly attack” and said the situation had been brought under control.

The airport is a strategically important facility that accommodates a Nigerien air force base and the headquarters of the joint military force formed by Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. Saturday’s unrest marked the third attack this year involving the base, following two earlier assaults by jihadist groups.

The incident presents another challenge to Niger’s military administration, which seized power in a coup in 2023. Under junta leader Abdourahamane Tchiani, Niger has cut ties with several longstanding Western security partners and strengthened its relationship with Russia.

Despite the shift in security alliances, the country continues to face deadly attacks by jihadist groups and growing economic difficulties following reductions in international assistance.

Militant violence has destabilised large parts of Africa’s Sahel region, including neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali, both of which are also governed by military juntas.

With PTI inputs