Niger’s junta leader, Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, has appointed Brig. Gen. Mamane Sani Kiaou as the new chief of staff of the armed forces, a move that follows a deadly mutiny late last month. The decree was announced on state television on Friday.
Kiaou succeeds Maj. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, who had been the top military commander since the July 2023 coup that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum. Barmou was also a member of the ruling junta. The reason for the change was not provided.
The appointment comes less than two weeks after a nearly 24-hour mutiny in the capital, Niamey, on Aug. 28 and 29. During the mutiny, soldiers took other members of the armed forces hostage at Base 101, located at Diori Hamani International Airport, and fired on sensitive sites, according to the Defense Ministry.
Analysts and diplomats suggested the mutineers were motivated by growing militant violence and poor conditions within the military. Some participants reportedly came from Niger’s southern and western regions, which have been heavily impacted by attacks.
Presidential guard forces engaged in efforts to regain control of the base. Russian forces, operating as the Africa Corps, provided ground and aerial support. The confrontation resulted in the deaths of dozens of mutineers and the arrest of others. Three members of the presidential guard were also killed. Official figures on the total death toll and the charges faced by detained soldiers have not been released.
Base 101 serves as the headquarters for Russia’s Africa Corps and a joint military force comprised of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
The junta, led by Tchiani, came to power citing the civilian government's inability to address extremist violence. Since the coup, security conditions have worsened, coinciding with Niger’s termination of military cooperation with France and the United States and its subsequent pivot toward Russia.
Brig. Gen. Kiaou is a veteran field commander who has previously served as army chief. Local media reports indicate he has led operations against armed groups in the western Tillaberi and southeastern Diffa regions.