Russia says it helped to repel Niger attempted coup
Soldiers tried to attack a key military base early on Saturday morning, authorities say, but were thwarted.
Russia has confirmed that its forces played a role in quashing an attempted coup in Niger on Saturday.
The capital, Niamey, experienced explosions and gunfire in the early hours, targeting a significant military airbase and the presidential palace. Within hours, Nigerien authorities announced that the rebellion had been suppressed.
Moscow's foreign ministry stated on Sunday that Nigerien forces, "with the assistance of servicemen of the African Corps of the Russian Ministry of Defence," had repelled the assault. The ministry further pledged continued support for Niger in its battle against "extremists," asserting that the "situation was now under the control of the legitimate authorities headed by President [Gen Abdourahmane] Tiani."
Russia's African Corps has emerged as a crucial security ally for several military governments in the Sahel region, which are grappling with persistent jihadist insurgencies.
The Alliance of Sahel States, comprising Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, condemned the attempted coup as "a betrayal by a group of soldiers involved in an attempt at destabilisation."
Authorities have not disclosed the number of soldiers involved in the coup attempt or the resulting casualties. General Tiani, Niger's military ruler who assumed the presidency last year after ousting the elected leader, has not publicly commented on the incident.
Niger's state broadcaster aired footage showing alleged mutineers being apprehended by the Presidential Guard.
On Sunday, the Niger Press Agency reported a return to normalcy in commercial activities, with petrol stations, shops, and other businesses reopening. Government supporters gathered in a central Niamey public square to express solidarity with the security forces and Tiani's administration.
Air Base 101, the military installation attacked on Saturday, is part of the Diori Hamani airport complex. It houses Nigerien military aircraft and drones, along with an Alliance of Sahel States counter-terrorism unit. Reuters news agency reports that Russian and Italian forces are also stationed there.
Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are all military-governed nations that have severed ties with Western partners and strengthened their collaboration with Russia. Despite this shift in alliances, jihadist violence remains widespread across all three countries.
For Niger's government, Saturday's mutiny underscores that the military faces not only external insurgency but also signs of internal dissent. The airbase where the mutiny began had itself been targeted twice this year by jihadists – once by an Islamic State affiliate and later by an al-Qaeda affiliate.
Nigerien authorities have indicated that security forces have increased patrols around key sites in Niamey following the attempted takeover, including the main airport entrance and the presidential pavilion.