A daring overnight assault on Niamey’s Diori Hamani International Airport has intensified security fears in the Sahel, exposing vulnerabilities at a key military-civilian site amid jihadist threats and geopolitical strains.
Gunfire and explosions erupted shortly after midnight on January 29, 2026, near the airport’s military air base (Base Aérienne 101). Assailants believed to have approached on motorcycles with lights off targeted drone facilities, air defenses, and possibly commercial aircraft from carriers like Air Côte d’Ivoire and ASKY Airlines. Weapons included mortars, small arms, and reports of drones.
Niger’s Defense and Security Forces, backed by Russian African Corps personnel, repelled the attackers after roughly 30 minutes to several hours of fighting. Official reports state 20 assailants were killed (with state media claiming one was French, unverified), 11 detained (many injured), and several motorcycles seized.
Four Nigerien soldiers were wounded; no civilians were reported harmed. Airport operations resumed later with increased security.The site’s sensitivity amplified the fallout: it hosts the tri-national counterterrorism headquarters for Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, advanced drone infrastructure, and a large uranium stockpile (around 1,000 tonnes) tied to disputes with French firm Orano after Niger’s asset nationalizations.
Junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani, speaking on state TV after inspecting the base, directly accused French President Emmanuel Macron, Benin’s Patrice Talon, and Côte d’Ivoire’s Alassane Ouattara of sponsoring the “mercenaries.”
He warned, “We have heard them bark; they should be ready to hear us roar,” and tied the incident to resistance against an alleged uranium transfer to Russia claims lacking public evidence. He thanked Russian forces for their defense role.
No group has claimed responsibility, unlike JNIM’s open admission in the similar September 2024 Bamako airport attack. Some analysts note tactical overlaps with JNIM, but differences persist, leaving perpetrator identity unclear.
Unsubstantiated accusations against neighbors and France risk worsening diplomatic rifts in a region already fractured by insurgencies, coups, and shifting alliances—particularly Niger’s turn toward Russia after expelling Western partners.
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