Niger’s national broadcaster went dark Saturday after overnight gunfire and explosions erupted near a military base at the capital’s airport, while soldiers reportedly sealed off roads to the presidential palace, residents and security sources said.
The events unfolded without an immediate explanation. Niger’s military called on the public to stay calm and refrain from circulating unverified reports, adding that defense and security forces had been deployed.
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“Given the current events, let us remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information,” the military said in posts on its official social media accounts.
A resident told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that heavy gunfire and explosions were heard near Air Force Base 101, which sits within the international airport complex. Several others described sustained bursts of gunfire continuing through the night and into Saturday morning.
According to a video posted online by a local journalist showing the area around the airport, the first shots rang out at about 1:00 a.m. local time and continued until dawn. Another resident said he heard further bursts around 7:00 a.m.
“The weapons we’re hearing are not the kind that terrorists on motorbikes can carry,” the resident said. “The fighting has been non-stop since last night.”
A resident of western Niamey separately reported intermittent small-arms fire at about 5 a.m.
By 9 a.m., Tele Sahel, Niger’s state television broadcaster, was broadcasting a black screen on both its satellite service and online platforms. Residents said soldiers had restricted access to roads leading to the presidential palace and the television station.
Videos shared on social media appeared to depict armored vehicles moving near the airport. The footage had not been independently verified.
The reported clashes came as Niger approaches the third anniversary of military rule established after the July 2023 coup led by Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani. Since taking power, the junta has faced continued jihadist violence affecting Niger and the broader Sahel for more than a decade.
Airport attacks
Air Force Base 101 has been under particular scrutiny after two attacks this year by rival jihadist organizations.
In January, militants from Daesh in the Sahel assaulted the base. Authorities said 20 attackers were killed and four soldiers wounded. Tiani later conceded that a “flaw in the system” had enabled the assault and said the attackers had aimed to destroy Niger’s air capabilities.
The airport complex came under attack again in late June, when fighters from JNIM, the group known by its French acronym and affiliated with al-Qaida, launched an assault. Niger’s Defense Ministry reported that at least 11 soldiers and two civilians died, while 22 attackers were killed.
Niger’s military said it repelled both attacks.
Daesh in the Sahel and JNIM also operate in neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali. Like Niger, both countries are ruled by military juntas that came to power in coups.
The three governments have distanced themselves from longtime Western partners, including France, as they pursue efforts against jihadist groups, while deepening relations with Russia. After prolonged disputes with the regional bloc, they also withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS.
Air Force Base 101 houses personnel from Russia’s Africa Corps and the command structure of the Alliance of Sahel States, a political and security partnership created by Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali.
The facility has also been used to hold sensitive military and strategic supplies. From December through January, it stored a major shipment of uranium concentrate that had been delayed pending export. No subsequent movement of the shipment has been reported.
