Niger retakes key Niamey airbase after mutiny rocks junta
Why it matters: The failed revolt exposed unrest inside the army as Niger also battles jihadist attacks and leans on Russian support.
Niger's military regained control of Air Base 101 in Niamey after mutinous soldiers seized parts of the site and fighting spread near the presidential complex. Gunfire and explosions shook the capital from late Friday into Saturday before loyalist forces, including the Presidential Guard, repelled the revolt. State media showed alleged mutineers in custody, but authorities did not give a death toll or say how many soldiers were involved. The base shares a complex with Diori Hamani airport and hosts Nigerien aircraft, an Alliance of Sahel States counterterrorism unit, and Russian and Italian forces. The unrest posed the biggest internal threat in months to military ruler Abdourahamane Tiani, whose government has struggled to curb jihadist violence since taking power in the 2023 coup.