Seventeen troops were killed in a jihadist ambush near the town of Koutougou, Niger, the nation's defence ministry confirmed on Tuesday, further highlighting the deepening security crisis as military leaders grapple with regional backlash from a recent coup.
The attack occurred in the volatile Tillaberi region, near Burkina Faso. Alongside the casualties, 20 soldiers were reported injured, six of them critically, with all being transported to the capital Niamey for medical attention. The army reported retaliating, claiming over 100 assailants, who were on motorbikes, were "neutralised".
Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, known as the "three borders" region, have been continually targeted by Islamic State and Al-Qaeda-affiliated groups since the insurgency began in Mali in 2012. This has resulted in thousands dead and millions displaced across the Sahel region.
Anger rooted in this persistent violence has led to military takeovers in all three nations since 2020. Niger's elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, was the latest victim of such a coup, ousted on July 26.
The escalating crisis has alarmed the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which warned of potential military intervention to restore Bazoum, currently detained in Niamey. ECOWAS military heads convene in Ghana later this week, aiming to progress on their resolution to deploy forces in Niger. However, there are reservations, with many advocating for a diplomatic solution.
Amid this turmoil, talks were held this week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, facilitating dialogue between ECOWAS and Niger under the African Union's mediation.
In a related development, Niger's interim civilian Prime Minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, visited Chad on Tuesday, emphasizing Niger's commitment to dialogue but also asserting its sovereignty.
Last year's election of Bazoum was significant, marking Niger's first peaceful power transition since its 1960 independence from France. Having survived two coup attempts, Bazoum's government was eventually overthrown in Niger's fifth military coup.
The fallout from the coup has seen ECOWAS impose trade and financial sanctions. Additionally, France, Germany, and the U.S. have halted their aid programmes, intensifying the pressures on an already impoverished nation. Concurrently, Niger battles another jihadist front in its southeast, stemming from Nigeria's Boko Haram insurgency initiated in 2010.
