- State affiliation · Niger
- Vigil category device · not official insignia
Identity provenance
State affiliation: Niger.
Vigil category device — drawn from this record’s own domain, echelon and role. Not an official insignia.
In brief
The land force — commanded from Niamey through nine defence zones that overlap the civilian regions, carrying the war in the west from garrisons in Tillabéri and Tahoua, and the service from whose western units the mutineers of August 2026 were reportedly drawn.
- Scope
- Structure, role, lineage and links. No subordinate records published.
- Subordination
- Subordination confirmed
- Sources
- 4 on the record
- Record state
- Partial
Broad area of activity
Nationwide through nine defence zones; the war is concentrated in the west — Tillabéri and Tahoua, the Liptako borderlands — with a second front in the south-east against Lake Chad-basin groups outside this module's scope.
Notable history
The Nigerien army is commanded by its chief of staff in Niamey through the commanders of nine defence zones that largely overlap the civilian regions — a territorial structure like Mali's military regions, with the same consequence that the western zones carry the war. Tillabéri recorded the highest civilian toll from attacks of any area in the central Sahel in 2025, and the conflict-data ranking of reported perpetrators places the military second there, after Islamic State Sahel and before JNIM — a finding recorded as its authors'. The presidential guard that deposed the president in July 2023 was a separate formation; the officer corps has governed since through the CNSP. On 29–30 August 2026 mutinous soldiers, reportedly including troops from the Ouallam, Téra and Dosso garrisons, attacked the airport, the palace and Base 101 before government forces retook the base — the clearest available sign that the western theatre's losses have become an internal political problem for this service.
Strengths
Political primacy, a partner relationship carrying no governance conditions, and a territorial structure that keeps the state present in the regional capitals.
Limitations
Sustained casualties in the west that the August 2026 mutiny turned inward; the loss of the surveillance and strike support that left with the American withdrawal; a principal import corridor closed since 2023; and a conduct record documented by conflict-data analysts. No strength, order of battle, basing or dispositions are published.
Related locations
Tillabéri region: The principal theatre in the west and the region from which mutinying units were reportedly drawn.
Campaigns
Campaigns naming this organisation as a participant. The campaign record owns the relationship and grades it; this list is computed.
- Pressure in Tillabéri Reported participant · Documented pattern since 2025 · moderate confidence · as of 2026-08
The service whose western garrisons carry the theatre, and whose conduct the conflict-data ranking of perpetrators records.
Key events
Mutinous soldiers attack Niamey, and Moscow says its force acted on the base's request
Mutinous soldiers attacked the Diori Hamani International Airport, the presidential palace, the state broadcaster and Base 101 — the air force base that hosts both the Russian Africa Corps and the AES joint command. State media described hundreds of disaffected soldiers; reporting indicates the mutineers included troops from Niamey and from Ouallam, Téra and Dosso, localities where the army has sustained heavy casualties. Government forces retook Base 101, General Salifou Modi said on state television that the situation was under control, and dozens of soldiers were shown paraded afterwards. On 29 August Russia's ambassador, Viktor Voropayev, told TASS that the command of Base 101 had appealed to Russian personnel for assistance, and that Niger's chief of the general staff, the army chief of staff and the base commander later visited the Africa Corps compound to thank it; to Western agencies he said the mutineers were neutralised "particularly thanks to the intervention" of the force. Reporting attributes ground and aerial support, drones included, to Africa Corps personnel, and describes Russian personnel held by the mutineers early in the episode. Casualty and arrest figures have not been established; the government held a funeral for three presidential-guard members on 31 August. Algeria issued a statement of solidarity; a report that it also sent aircraft is single-source and not carried here.
Quick actions
System access
Where this record connects into the rest of Vigil. Each row is here because this organisation actually reaches it.
Assessed as of2026-08Last reviewed2026-09-09
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