Niamey airport attack repelled as Russia steps further into Niger’s security fight

Russian soldiers helped Niger’s armed forces push back an attack claimed by ISIL on the capital’s main airport last week, underscoring Moscow’s expanding military footprint in the Sahel and the fragile security environment facing the region’s junta-led governments.

Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday that the assault on Diori Hamani international airport in Niamey was stopped through “the joint efforts of the Russian Ministry of Defence’s African Corps and the Nigerien armed forces”. Niger’s military rulers had earlier acknowledged that “Russian partners” were involved in defending the site.

The late-night attack on January 28 targeted an airport that also hosts a military base, an unusually bold move in a country where armed groups typically operate in remote border areas. Nigerien authorities said 20 attackers were killed, including a French national, with four soldiers wounded. State television reported that at least 11 fighters were captured.

ISIL later claimed responsibility for what it described as a “surprise and coordinated attack” on the airbase. Footage circulated by the group’s Amaq media outlet showed dozens of gunmen firing assault rifles near an aircraft hangar and setting one plane ablaze before escaping on motorbikes.

“Moscow strongly condemns this latest extremist attack,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said, according to the state-run TASS news agency. It added that a similar assault on Mali’s capital airport in September 2024 suggested that “external forces providing instructor and technical support are involved”.

Niger’s military chief, Abdourahamane Tchiani, later visited the Russian military base in Niamey to express “personal gratitude for a high-level of professionalism” shown by Russian forces during the defence of the airport, the ministry said.

In the immediate aftermath, Niger’s military accused Benin, France and Ivory Coast of backing the attack. Both Benin and Ivory Coast rejected the claim, with Abidjan summoning Niger’s ambassador in protest. France, Niger’s former colonial power, has not commented.

The incident comes as Russia steadily deepens its role in West and Central Africa. Russian troops or instructors have been reported in Niger, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea and Libya.

Russia’s African Corps has replaced the Wagner mercenary force in several countries. Moscow says the corps is focused on “fighting terrorists” and “strengthening regional stability” in the Sahel, where Niger has battled ISIL affiliates and the al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims for more than a decade.