Niger presidential guard retakes airbase after coup attempt in Niamey

AI digestMimile.ai EditorialAugust 30, 2026 at 01:55 PM

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Niger presidential guard retakes airbase after coup attempt in Niamey

Niger's presidential guard regained control of Air Base 101 near Niamey on August 29 after armed clashes with mutinous soldiers. Defense Minister Salifou Modi said the mutineers had held fellow soldiers and fired on strategic sites in the capital. The clashes came just over three years after the July 2023 coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

Key Facts

Armed clashes with gunfire erupted in several districts of Niamey on August 29, including near the international airport and the presidential palace.
Soldiers seized Air Base 101 before the presidential guard retook it with assistance from Russian military personnel, according to diplomatic and security sources cited by AFP.
Defense Minister Salifou Modi said the mutineers held fellow soldiers on the base and fired on strategic sites in the capital.
Niger has been under military rule since the July 2023 coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and later joined the Alliance of Sahel States with Mali and Burkina Faso.

The Coup Attempt

Armed clashes with gunfire broke out in several districts of Niamey on August 29, with shots reported near the international airport and the presidential palace. Soldiers seized Air Base 101, a key military installation in the capital. By Saturday evening, the presidential guard had retaken the base with assistance from Russian military personnel, according to diplomatic and security sources cited by AFP. The sources reported that some of the mutineers were killed during the operation.

Government Response

Defense Minister Salifou Modi stated that the soldiers involved in the mutiny had held their fellow servicemen on the military base and opened fire on a number of strategic sites in the capital. The government has not released an official casualty toll from the clashes.

Political Context

Niger has been under military rule since the July 2023 coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. The country subsequently joined Mali and Burkina Faso in the Alliance of Sahel States.

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Niger presidential guard retakes airbase after coup attempt in Niamey

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Niger presidential guard retakes airbase after coup attempt in Niamey

Key Facts

The Coup Attempt

Government Response

Political Context

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