Black Screen and Gunfire in the Streets… Details of a Turbulent Night in the Heart of Niger
Television broadcasts were interrupted, while gunfire and explosions were reported in several parts of Niger during a tense night in which Niamey remained awake.
Explosions and gunfire were reported around Diori Hamani International Airport, Air Base 101 and the presidential palace, while the authorities announced that their forces were on alert.
At 9:00 p.m. local time (8:00 p.m. GMT), a black screen replaced the programming of « Télé Sahel », both via satellite and online.
Residents of the capital confirmed that, on Saturday morning, military personnel were blocking roads leading to the presidential palace and the headquarters of the national television broadcaster.
Witnesses reported heavy gunfire near the compound that houses the airport and presidential palace.
A security source said that terrorists had attacked Diori Hamani International Airport and attempted to breach the security perimeter surrounding the presidential palace. A witness also reported hearing heavy gunfire in the area near the palace.
It was not immediately clear who had carried out the attack or which group was behind it, while the security accounts could not be independently verified.
Gunfire and explosions throughout the night
Two witnesses said that the gunfire and explosions had begun on Friday night and continued into the early hours of Saturday morning.
Residents reported hearing heavy gunfire and explosions inside Air Base 101, located within the Niamey International Airport complex, from around 1:00 a.m. local time.
One resident said he heard bursts of automatic weapons fire after 7:00 a.m., adding that he saw a military vehicle heading toward the base before turning back.
Residents in other parts of the capital also reported sporadic gunfire, while social media posts referred to explosions and gunfire in the administrative district housing the presidential palace and the headquarters of the national television broadcaster.
Residents reported an interruption in Nigerien television broadcasts, while other posts showed armored vehicles deployed in a neighborhood near the airport.
Authorities: Situation under control
Bana Wagana Ibrahim, a member of Niger’s Consultative Council and a lawmaker in the Parliament of the Alliance of Sahel States, said that the attackers had targeted Air Base 101, adding that security forces had regained control of it.
Ibrahim wrote that the defense and security forces had succeeded in bringing the situation under control.
A second security source said that security forces had carried out sweeping operations and that the attackers had been « neutralized », while others had fled.
However, according to one witness, gunfire resumed, and powerful explosions were heard in the hours before dawn.
The military council, for its part, called for calm in an official statement and urged people to avoid circulating unverified information, stressing that the defense and security forces were on alert.
According to the information contained in the text, no official statement had yet been issued clarifying the details of the attack or providing a casualty toll.
Airport targeted twice in 2026
The current attack is the third major disturbance to affect the area around Niamey’s airport since the beginning of the year.
Air Base 101 had previously been attacked twice. The first attack, in January, was claimed by Islamic State in the Sahel. The second, in June, was carried out by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, and resulted in the deaths of 11 soldiers and two civilians.
Following the January attack, the head of the military council, Abdourahamane Tiani, said the assault had resulted from « a weakness in the system », adding that the attackers’ objective had been to destroy the army’s air capabilities.
Military base and headquarters of the Alliance of Sahel States
Air Base 101 is located within the Niamey International Airport complex and houses the headquarters of the unified force of the Alliance of Sahel States, comprising Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.
The site also hosts the headquarters of the « Africa Corps », a force under Russia’s Ministry of Defense that assists the alliance’s member states in combating terrorist groups.
The presence of these facilities makes the airport area a strategically important military site for the authorities that have governed Niger since the July 2023 coup.
Persistent threat from terrorist groups
Since the middle of the 2010s, Niger has faced attacks carried out by terrorist groups that are also active in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso.
The Tillabéri region, located near the borders with the two countries, has experienced repeated attacks, while Nigerien forces have faced attacks targeting military installations and security sites during the current year.
The military authorities in Niamey are seeking to confront these attacks while strengthening their relations with Russia after ending military cooperation with France.
Niger has also withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and joined Mali and Burkina Faso in forming the Alliance of Sahel States.
Uranium adds to the airport’s strategic importance
Niamey Airport also has another dimension of importance linked to the uranium sector.
Between December and January, a large quantity of uranium concentrate produced in Niger was held at the site pending export. No movement of the shipment has been observed since then, according to the text.
The latest unrest comes as the authorities tighten their control over the uranium sector following their takeover of assets belonging to the French company Orano.
Niger was previously a major supplier of nuclear fuel to Europe, accounting for around 15% of Orano’s uranium supplies when the company was operating at full capacity.
Last week, the government reassigned, by decree, uranium mining permits previously held by Orano and Goviex to state-backed companies.
Previous attacks on the base
Islamic State in the Sahel and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin had already targeted Niamey Airport during the current year.
In January, the base came under attack in an assault claimed by Islamic State in the Sahel.
In June, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin targeted the site, killing 11 soldiers and two civilians.
The latest attack comes amid continued fighting between government forces and terrorist groups in various parts of Niger, while the military authorities continue to reorganize their security and military alliances.
