Amidst threats of military intervention by neighboring nations to halt the military coup, Niger confronts an escalating sequence of terrorist attacks. Experts are divided: has the apparent lack of military coordination between American and European forces with Niamey contributed to this surge?
Niger is situated in what’s referred to as the volatile border triangle, shared with Burkina Faso and Mali. This area is a stronghold for factions affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIS, engaged in illicit activities such as drug, arms, gold, illegal immigrants, and goods smuggling. The borders serve as their launchpads for assaults against the three nations.
Since the military coup on July 26th, there have been a series of close-knit attacks:
• At least 17 Nigerien soldiers were killed and 20 others wounded in an ambush by terrorists near the Mali border in the Tillabéri region, as reported by the Defense Ministry.
• Al-Qaeda affiliate “Al-Nusra group” claimed responsibility for an attack on Niger’s army on August 9th in Tillabéri, resulting in 6 army deaths and 4 injuries. The assault was reportedly to pressure the government into releasing 16 of their members.
• On August 4th, ISIS militants attacked Malian soldiers who were escorting trucks bound for Niger, according to Malian police sources.
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Political researchers attribute the rise in attacks partly to the cessation of security coordination and military training between the US, EU, and Nigerien forces in protest of the coup. African affairs researcher, Mohammed Torshin, hinted at this in a previous report for Sky News Arabia.
However, the head of the European Center for Counter-Terrorism Studies, Jassem Mohammed, argues the main reason behind the spike in attacks isn’t the lack of military coordination. “The cooperation was never as effective as hoped,” he told Sky News Arabia. He points to terrorist groups trying to exploit the security fragility and chaos post-coup. Such groups tend to emerge under these circumstances, presenting themselves as societal alternatives.
Jassem adds that the region has become a “magnet for various terrorist groups, whether affiliated with ISIS, al-Qaeda, or Nigeria’s Boko Haram.” There’s a prevailing influence battle among them, primarily around Lake Chad and the Gulf of Guinea. Extremist factions are expected to intensify their onslaughts significantly.
France and the US both have over a thousand troops stationed in Niger. Post-coup, both nations announced a halt in their training exercises and coordination with Nigerien forces.
