New Chief of Staff: Niger Reshuffles Army Leadership After Mutiny Attempt

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The head of Niger’s ruling military council, General Abdourahamane Tiani, has appointed Brigadier General Maman Sani Kiaou as the new Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces following the foiling of an attempted mutiny against the authorities last month.

State television reported that Tiani issued a decree on September 11, 2026, appointing Kiaou to replace General Moussa Salaou Barmou, without providing any explanation for the latter’s dismissal.

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The appointment came after a mutiny attempt on August 29, when rebel soldiers attacked sensitive sites in the capital, Niamey, including the airport and the presidential headquarters, before barricading themselves inside a major military base.

Government forces managed to regain control of the base the following day, with the support of Russian paramilitary forces affiliated with the Africa Corps, some of whose personnel are stationed at Base 101.

Niger’s Council of Ministers said that a broad network of accomplices, led by France, had incited the attack, adding that the government had gathered “a substantial amount of evidence” and reserved the right to refer the case to international courts. France did not respond to the accusations.

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Who Is the New Chief of Staff?

Maman Sani Kiaou is known for commanding operations against terrorist groups in the Tillabéri region in the west of the country and the Diffa region in the southeast. People close to him have described him as “an experienced field commander.”

State media reported that he had recently completed a tour of several key military bases aimed at “restoring cohesion among the forces.”

Kiaou also led the negotiations that resulted in the withdrawal of French and U.S. forces from Niger following the July 2023 coup.

Since coming to power, Tiani has worked to strengthen relations with Russia and distance Niger from Western partners, particularly France, the country’s former colonial power.

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Russia’s ambassador to Niamey, Viktor Voropaev, said that Niger had requested assistance from the Africa Corps to “suppress the mutiny,” according to Russia’s Sputnik news agency.

Niamey’s airport had already been attacked twice this year. The first attack was carried out by the Islamic State organization in January, while the second was launched by Al-Qaeda in June, killing 11 soldiers and two civilians.

The airport is considered a strategic target. Between December and January, a large quantity of uranium concentrates produced by Niger was stored there pending export, and no movement of the shipment has been detected since then, according to Agence France-Presse.

Since the middle of the 2010s, Niger has faced terrorist groups that are also active in neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali. The three countries, all under military rule, formed the Alliance of Sahel States and moved to strengthen their relations with Russia after ending their alliance with France, their former partner in the fight against terrorist groups.

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