Human Rights Watch said Islamist militants summarily executed 127 people in Niger in a series of separate attacks since March, including a mass killing at a mosque in the western Tillabéri region in June that left more than 70 worshippers dead.
The rights group documented five attacks in which gunmen carried out brutal killings, burned homes and imposed severe restrictions on freedoms, saying the spate of violence has further eroded the credibility of Niger’s military rulers who had vowed to curb the insurgency after ousting President Mohamed Bazoum in 2023.
HRW quoted survivors and witnesses describing scenes of mass slaughter at the mosque in Tillabéri, where, the group said, worshippers were shot dead while praying. "There were bodies everywhere, one on top of the other," a local woman who lost three sons in that attack told investigators, according to the report.
In an attack in May in the Dani Fari area, assailants killed five men and two boys and burned at least a dozen homes, HRW said. A herder who witnessed the aftermath said, "The bodies were scattered … riddled with bullets. There wasn't a single body out there that had fewer than three bullet holes. The bullets had hit people in the back, arms, head. We found the bodies of the two children lying on their backs."
Human Rights Watch said the jihadist groups have also attacked schools and religious sites and have imposed harsh restrictions on communities based on their interpretation of Islam. The report cited figures from the conflict-monitoring group ACLED showing that about 1,600 civilians have been killed by Islamic State group fighters in Niger since the 2023 coup.
No group claimed responsibility for the five attacks documented by HRW, but eyewitnesses blamed Islamic State fighters, whom the rights group said are identifiable in the area by the red-banded turbans they wear. The report said villagers told investigators that security forces did not adequately respond to warnings of attacks and ignored requests for protection.
Niger’s military has not publicly commented on the HRW report. The authorities have repeatedly said they are fighting an entrenched insurgency that stretches across porous borders in the Sahel.
Tillabéri, which borders Burkina Faso and Mali, has been a focal point of the insurgency for more than a decade. All three countries are now ruled by military governments that have formed an alliance to fight jihadist groups. Since the coups in the region, the governments have scaled back security cooperation with Western partners and sought support from states including Russia and Turkey.
"Islamist armed groups are targeting the civilian population in western Niger and committing horrific abuses," said Ilaria Allegrozzi, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Nigerien authorities need to do more to protect people living in the Tillabéri region," she added.
The continuing attacks put pressure on the military rulers to demonstrate an effective strategy to protect civilians and restore security. Humanitarian and human rights organisations have warned that rising violence and restrictions on movement are exacerbating displacement and limiting access to aid in parts of western Niger.
Analysts and local residents say the complex operational environment — with armed groups exploiting remote terrain and cross-border safe havens — complicates efforts to secure communities. Until now, efforts by the junta and its regional partners have not halted a pattern of attacks that rights groups say have devastated villages and targeted noncombatants.
The Human Rights Watch report calls for increased protection measures for civilians, independent investigations into alleged abuses, and accountability for those responsible for mass killings. Without demonstrable improvements in security and protection, the report warned, the humanitarian and political toll in Tillabéri and neighbouring areas is likely to grow.