In Niger’s capital, Niamey, servicemen mutinied, seized the air base on the airport grounds, and attacked several government facilities. By evening, government forces with support from the Russian Ministry of Defense unit “African Corps” suppressed the uprising; several of its participants were killed, and dozens were detained.
The operation began around 1 a.m. on August 29 and continued until morning. The mutineers seized the air base on the grounds of Niamey airport and opened fire on other facilities. Shootouts and explosions also took place near the presidential palace, and state television and radio broadcasting was temporarily suspended.
Reuters, citing Niger media, wrote that hundreds of disgruntled servicemen took part in the uprising, but it was unable to independently confirm these data. The American newspaper The New York Times, citing a former Nigerien diplomat, reported that the soldiers who seized the base held Russian servicemen for several hours. The French magazine Jeune Afrique, citing a source in Niger’s security services, also wrote that Nigerien servicemen and foreign citizens were being held at the facility, without specifying their nationality.
Russian servicemen from the Russian Ministry of Defense unit “African Corps” and an Italian contingent are stationed at the air base. By evening, government forces regained control of the facility with the support of the “African Corps”. During the operation, several participants in the mutiny were killed, and dozens of soldiers were detained.
Russia’s ambassador Viktor Voropaev said that the base command asked Russian servicemen to help neutralize the mutineers. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the participation of the “African Corps” in suppressing the uprising and said that the situation is under the control of Niger’s authorities.
The military junta led by Abdourahamane Tchiani came to power in Niger after the 2023 coup, after which it ended cooperation with Western countries and drew closer to Russia. In 2026, the air base in Niamey has already been attacked twice by jihadists, but the current uprising, according to the data provided, was organized by regular army servicemen. At the beginning of 2024, the Russian Ministry of Defense established the “African Corps” as a paramilitary structure to protect Russian military and economic interests in African countries; according to these data, the unit included 20,000 people, including former Wagner PMC fighters.
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