Niger's Junta Leader Names New Armed Forces Chief After Deadly Mutiny
Niger's junta leader appointed a new armed forces chief after a deadly mutiny at a Niamey military base threatened the government's grip on power.
Niger's junta leader has appointed a new chief of staff of the armed forces, less than two weeks after a deadly mutiny shook the government's hold on power.
Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani named Brig. Gen. Mamane Sani Kiaou to the post in a decree read on state television late Friday. No reason was given for the change.
Kiaou replaces Maj. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, a junta member who had served as the country's top military commander since the July 2023 coup that removed democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum.
The reshuffle came after a mutiny that lasted nearly 24 hours in the capital, Niamey, on Aug. 28 and 29. According to Niger's Defense Ministry, mostly young soldiers took other members of the armed forces hostage at Base 101, a military installation at Diori Hamani International Airport, and fired at sensitive sites.
Analysts and diplomats said the mutineers appeared to be aggrieved over worsening militant violence and poor conditions within the military. Some of them came from areas in southern and western Niger that have been hardest hit by attacks.
Presidential guard forces struggled to retake the base until Russia's Africa Corps intervened with ground and aerial support. Dozens of mutineers were killed or arrested, and three presidential guard members were killed. Authorities have not disclosed the overall death toll or said what charges the detained soldiers may face.
The airport houses the headquarters of Russia's Africa Corps and a joint military force established by Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.
Tchiani's junta justified the 2023 coup by citing the civilian government's failure to contain extremist violence. Security has since deteriorated as Niger ended military cooperation with France and the United States and turned to Russia.
Kiaou previously served as army chief. He is a veteran field commander who has overseen operations against armed groups in the western Tillaberi region and the southeastern Diffa region, according to local media.