Niger's Military Junta Replaces Armed Forces Chief After Failed Mutiny

Niger’s military government has replaced its armed forces chief and shaken up the upper ranks of the army, weeks after a failed mutiny tested the junta’s control and ended with dozens of mutineers killed or detained.

A decree read on state television Friday said Gen. Mamane Sani Kiaou, previously the army’s chief of staff, would lead the armed forces, succeeding Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou. No explanation was given for Barmou’s removal.

Gen. Abdourahmane Abou Zataka was promoted to replace Kiaou as army chief of staff, according to the same decree. Regional broadcaster RFI reported that Gen. Ismael K Sidi Omar had been named second-in-command of the general staff. Sidi Omar previously commanded Base 101, the airport base at the center of the mutiny, and stayed loyal to junta leader Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani during the crisis, RFI said.

Both Kiaou and Barmou had held senior posts since the July 2023 coup that brought Tchiani and a group of army officers to power. The latest changes amount to one of the most significant reorganizations of Niger’s security apparatus since the takeover, as the junta tries to restore discipline and cohesion in a force strained by insurgent violence and internal dissent.

The mutiny began on Aug. 28 and lasted nearly 24 hours, with fighting erupting at the presidential palace, Niamey’s international airport and a nearby military base. Niger’s Defense Ministry said mostly young soldiers took fellow service members hostage and opened fire on several sensitive sites.

Government forces called in ground and air support from Russia’s Africa Corps, a state-backed force that has replaced the Wagner mercenary group in several African countries. Dozens of mutineers were killed or arrested, along with three members of the presidential guard. The government has not disclosed an overall death toll or said what charges detained soldiers may face.

Analysts and diplomats told The Associated Press that the mutineers appeared driven by anger over worsening attacks by armed groups and poor conditions within the military. The failed uprising highlighted the pressures facing Niger’s armed forces as they battle armed groups in the Sahel while also managing a sharp realignment of the country’s foreign alliances.

Kiaou is a field commander who has led operations against armed groups in Niger’s western Tillaberi region and the southeastern Diffa region, and he helped negotiate the withdrawal of French and U.S. troops after the coup. State media said he recently completed a tour of the country’s main garrisons aimed at restoring unity among the ranks.

Tchiani’s government seized power in July 2023 from elected President Mohamed Bazoum, who remains in detention. The junta argued that the civilian government had failed to contain armed groups and violence. Since then, Niger has cut military ties with France and the United States and moved closer to Russia, even as the security situation has continued to deteriorate.

Niger has accused France of being behind last month’s mutiny, an allegation the French government dismissed as “pure fantasy.” The reshuffle is likely to be watched closely by regional and Western officials for signs of whether the junta can stabilize its own ranks — and whether its deepening partnership with Moscow will help or further inflame tensions in the Sahel.