The United States has ordered the departure of non-essential personnel and their family members from its embassy in Niamey, citing increased security risks following a militant attack near the capital’s international airport.
In a travel advisory updated on Friday, January 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of State urged American citizens to avoid all travel to Niger “for any reason” due to persistent threats of crime, civil unrest, terrorism, kidnapping, and health risks.
The advisory stressed that the U.S. government can no longer provide routine or emergency consular services to citizens outside the capital because of safety limitations.
The order follows an overnight assault on January 29–30 claimed by the Islamic State’s Amaq News Agency.
The group said fighters from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) carried out a “surprise and coordinated” operation targeting Air Base 101, a military facility co-located within Diori Hamani International Airport.
Amaq alleged the attack inflicted “significant damage” and “heavy losses,” though Nigerien authorities have not confirmed casualty figures.
Security sources described the incident as involving armed assailants on motorcycles who infiltrated the city under cover of darkness and engaged military installations, including drone platforms and air defence systems, for several hours.
Nigerien Defence and Security Forces, assisted by Russian African Corps personnel, repelled the attackers, neutralising several and capturing others.
Airport operations resumed shortly afterward.In response, Niger’s military leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, accused France, Benin, and Côte d’Ivoire of supporting the assailants while praising Russia’s defensive role.
The Islamic State claim has complicated the junta’s initial narrative of foreign-backed aggression.
The U.S. advisory noted that a state of emergency and movement restrictions remain in force across much of the country.
Foreigners travelling outside Niamey require military escorts, and designated emergency zones are off-limits, with boundaries subject to change.
U.S. government personnel in Niger are restricted to armoured-vehicle travel, must observe a mandatory curfew, and are barred from restaurants and open-air markets. American citizens were advised to adopt similar precautions.
The State Department also highlighted broader risks, including terrorism and kidnapping in Niamey, the Tillabéri tri-border region, the Diffa area near Lake Chad, northern Agadez, and the southern corridor along the Niger–Benin oil pipeline.
It warned of severely limited medical services, noting that even minor health issues could necessitate expensive medical evacuation.
The partial staff drawdown and stark travel warning underscore mounting international concern over Niger’s worsening security situation, particularly as militant violence has now struck at the heart of the capital.
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