By: Okoi Obono-Obla The Islamic State in the Sahel has claimed responsibility for the audacious assault launched on 29 January ...
By: Okoi Obono-Obla
The Islamic State in the Sahel has claimed responsibility for the audacious assault launched on 29 January 2026 on the Dorior Hammani International Airport in Niamey, Republic of Niger, including the military airbase known as Base Aérienne 101. However, the attack was repulsed by the Nigerien military. This marks the second such assault, leaving observers questioning whether the reasons given by the military for seizing power from President Mohammed Bazoum in July 2023 were truly valid, or rather an attempt by military adventurists masquerading as messianic saviors on a mission to protect Niger from jihadist violence.
Recently, the Islamic State in the Sahel carried out another audacious attack, killing more than 120 people in strikes targeting the Tillabéri region in September 2025 and abducting an American pilot in October. This latest strike on Niger’s high-profile infrastructure and military base exposes the vulnerabilities of the military government led by General Abdourahmane Tchiani, as well as the limitations of the Confederation of Sahelien States—an alliance of the military juntas of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. This alliance was presented as a panacea to the instability plaguing these countries, yet its leaders are quick to blame France and other regional actors who opposed the rise of military adventurism in West Africa.
This approach is reminiscent of the military regimes that dominated the region from the 1960s to the 1990s, which ultimately led to glaring failures and entrenched underdevelopment. The recent romanticism of military dictatorship in West Africa is a sad commentary, and the protagonists of such adventurism must now recognize that military rule cannot be the cure for the problem of armed insurgency by non-state actors such as the Islamic State or Boko Haram.
In conclusion, the Niamey airport attack underscores the fragility of military governments in the Sahel and highlights the urgent need for genuine governance reforms, regional cooperation, and civilian-led strategies to confront insurgency. Military dictatorship, as history has shown, is no anodyne for the deep-rooted crises of the region.
@ Okoi Obono-Obla
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