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Niger Military Junta Reports Failed Coup Attempt in Niamey

4 sources across 4 countries · Argentina · Chile · France · Spain

Who reported this

  • Infobae Argentina · Centre-right · Daniel Hadad
  • La Tercera Chile · Centre-right · Copesa (Saieh family)
  • France 24 France · Centre · Public · France Medias Monde (French state holding)
  • El Pais Spain · Centre-left · Grupo PRISA

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
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The military junta governing Niger announced on Saturday that it has progressively regained control of the capital, Niamey, following an armed attack on strategic sites. The Minister of Defense, Salifou Mody, stated in a televised address that a group of soldiers attempted to kidnap their comrades and launch an insurrection. The attackers targeted the Presidential Palace, the Diori Hamani International Airport, and Air Base 101. Reports indicate that gunfire, explosions, and heavy weaponry were heard throughout the city starting around 1:00 a.m. and continuing into the morning.

While the government described the event as a failed coup attempt, some reports noted that citizens initially feared the violence was a jihadist attack. This confusion stems from previous strikes on the airport and Air Base 101 in January and June, which were attributed to the Islamic State and Al Qaeda. Some sources suggest the mutineers may have included special forces and units from the Tillaberi and Dosso regions, potentially driven by dissatisfaction over military losses in the fight against jihadists.

Niger has been led by a military junta under General Abdourahamane Tchiani since July 2023. The current administration took power by overthrowing the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, who remains detained. No official casualty count has been released by the authorities.

How each side framed it

Centre-left
This outlet provided more context on the internal military discontent and the political history of the 2023 coup.
Centre
These outlets focused on the regime's claim of regaining control over the mutineers.
Centre-right
These outlets focused on the government's successful containment of the attack and the threat of previous jihadist activity.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.