In Niamey, during the night of January 28 to 29, 2026, the assault on Air Base 101 has reignited security concerns and revived diplomatic tensions in the sub-region.
During the night of January 28 to 29, Air Base 101 in Niamey, located near Diori Hamani International Airport, was the target of a large-scale armed attack. According to Niger’s Ministry of Defense, the assault was swiftly repelled by defense and security forces after several minutes of gunfire exchanges. The official toll reports twenty attackers neutralized, several arrests, and four soldiers injured. As they fled, the attackers opened fire on civilian aircraft parked on the tarmac. An aircraft belonging to Air Côte d’Ivoire was hit, with no casualties among passengers or crew.
The air base, or more broadly the Diori Hamani International Airport, was the target of an attempted infiltration by mercenaries—remote-controlled mercenaries. This gave us the opportunity to come and meet with all the defense and security forces , as well as our Russian partners, to commend their swift response.
Abdourahamane TIANI, President of the Republic
Beyond the military facts, the attack has taken on a major political dimension. The following day, President, General Abdourahamane Tiani, went to the scene. He praised the response of the defense forces while issuing a direct warning to the “presumed sponsors” of the attack. In a particularly forceful speech, the head of state explicitly accused certain foreign leaders of being involved, without however providing public evidence. This political statement comes amid an extremely tense security context.
We remind the sponsors of these mercenaries that we have listened to them bark long enough, and that they should now prepare, in turn, to hear us roar.
Abdourahamane TIANI, President of the Republic
Niger, like several countries in the Sahel, is facing constant pressure from armed groups, while the ongoing military transition has profoundly reshaped its strategic alliances. At this stage, no armed group has claimed responsibility for the attack, an absence that fuels questions about the true identity of the attackers and their motivations.
