Key developments in the Niamey airport attack
- The leader of Niger’s military junta has credited Russia for its assistance in countering an attack on the Niamey airport. He has also accused “Emmanuel Macron, Patrice Talon, Alassane Ouattara” of sponsoring the assailants, stating that twenty attackers, including “one French national,” were killed.
- Niamey’s airport is a highly strategic location, hosting military bases, the headquarters of the unified Niger-Burkina-Mali Force, and a significant uranium shipment of at least 1,000 tonnes. This uranium is central to a dispute with the French company Orano, which alleges expropriation by the Nigerien state.
- Many analysts believe a jihadist attack is the most credible scenario, as Niger contends with violence from JNIM and EIS. However, as of Thursday evening, no jihadist group had claimed responsibility for the incident.
Tensions with Niger’s military junta, which came to power in 2023, are escalating. The head of the regime has praised Russia for its military support during an attack on the airport in Niamey, while directly accusing the presidents of France, Bénin, and Côte d’Ivoire of being the “sponsors” of the attackers. According to the junta, the assault resulted in four soldiers being wounded, while twenty assailants were killed, one of whom was allegedly a French citizen, and others were captured.
The incident occurred overnight between Wednesday and Thursday. In a statement broadcast on public television, Télé Sahel, Niger’s Minister of Defense, General Salifou Modi, reported that a “group of remote-controlled mercenaries attacked Air Base 101 in Niamey” for approximately “thirty minutes” before being met with a “combined air and ground response.”
“We congratulate all the defense and security forces […] as well as our Russian partners who professionally defended their security sector,” stated the junta leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani. “We remind the sponsors of these mercenaries, particularly Emmanuel Macron, Patrice Talon, and Alassane Ouattara: we have heard them barking enough, let them now prepare to listen to us,” he added.
Advanced equipment and uranium create a volatile mix
The identity of the perpetrators remains unconfirmed. The Niamey airport is a critical hub, housing a Nigerien air force base, a newly constructed drone base, and the headquarters of the unified force established by Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali to combat jihadist groups destabilizing the region. Perhaps most significantly, a large shipment of uranium, a key export for Niger, is currently stored there awaiting transport. This stockpile is at the center of a standoff with the French nuclear fuel cycle giant Orano, which accuses the Nigerien state of unlawful expropriation. Just last week, Orano reiterated its commitment to pursuing legal action against Niger and “anyone who tries to get their hands” on the uranium stock, estimated at 1,000 tonnes or more.
“The vigorous air and ground counter-attack led to the neutralization of 20 mercenaries and the arrest of 11 others, the majority of whom are seriously injured, as well as the recovery of significant military equipment,” the Nigerien minister added. Despite these claims, several observers suggest that a jihadist attack is the most plausible theory. The country faces ongoing violence from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), linked to Al Qaeda, and the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS) in its western regions near the capital and in the southeast. However, by Thursday evening, no jihadist organization had taken credit for the attack.
