Illustrative image. (Niger Armed Forces)
Niger’s defense minister said on August 29 that military activity in the capital, Niamey, had been brought under control after security forces regained control of critical sites that came under attack overnight.
Heavy gunfire and explosions were reported around Diori Hamani International Airport and the Presidential Palace in Niamey overnight and into the morning.
Gen. Salifou Mody, Niger’s defense minister, said in remarks broadcast on national television that a group of soldiers had “broken away from military order” and attempted to detain fellow soldiers at Air Base 101, located within the international airport, before opening fire on several critical sites in the capital.
Mody stressed that the situation was brought under control “thanks to the swift intervention of Nigerien defense and security forces,” adding that control was gradually restored in the targeted areas. He urged residents of Niamey to remain calm and continue their daily activities as usual.
The violence marked the third time this year that Diori Hamani has come under attack. The airport and a nearby military base were targeted in January, and the airport and Air Base 101 were attacked again in June.
It’s worth noting that Air Base 101 is the site of a high-stakes security standoff centered on a highly contested stockpile of approximately 1,000 metric tons of concentrated yellowcake uranium—valued at roughly $170 million—which has become a symbol of a transforming global order.
The crisis was caused by the July 2023 military takeover led by Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani, whose government subsequently nationalized the country’s uranium sector, revoked mining licenses from the French state-backed nuclear giant Orano, and seized the stockpile from the Arlit mine.
Seeking to break free from Western influence, Niger’s new military government expelled United States and French military forces, formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) with Mali and Burkina Faso, and established close military and nuclear partnerships with Russia, including Rosatom and the Africa Corps, who now occupy separate quarters on the base.
However, a legal blockade by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and a military border blockade by neighboring Benin, backed by France, have left Niger legally and physically unable to export the uranium.
This high-value, stagnant stockpile has turned Air Base 101 and the adjacent international airport into volatile targets, triggering multiple devastating assaults by terrorist groups linked to ISIS and al-Qaeda. Niger has repeatedly and officially accused France of backing and funding these assaults.
While Niger has not yet made any accusations over the latest mutiny, it is very possible the violence was linked to the uranium standoff.
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