Heavy gunfire and explosions were heard overnight into Saturday morning in Niger’s capital of Niamey, according to an Associated Press witness and local media. The unrest occurred near the Diori Hamani International Airport and in an area housing the presidential palace.
Sustained gunfire began past midnight at the airport, which hosts a major military base, the AP witness reported. Local media also indicated gunshots in the Plateau administrative district, where key national institutions are located. Security forces were deployed around the airport and the Plateau district, and a main road leading to Niamey was closed.
The ruling military council, known as the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, urged unity in a Facebook post, stating, “Our Defence and Security Forces are mobilized for the Defense of the Fatherland. Let us remain united, vigilant and supportive.”
It was not immediately clear what caused the incidents. Local lawmaker Bana Wagana Ibrahim described the events as a “cowardly attack” but stated that the situation had been brought under control.
This is not the first time the airport has experienced unrest this year, with jihadi militants having attacked it on two prior occasions. The airport serves as a strategic hub for a Nigerien air force base and the headquarters of a joint military force involving Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali.
The latest events add pressure to Niger’s military junta, which assumed power after a 2023 coup. The junta has severed ties with long-standing Western security partners, including France and the United States, and has struggled to contain jihadi violence in the Sahel region, which also affects neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali.