Niger

Background reviewed 2026-10-23 · Background as of 2026-10

Background

Niger faces armed groups on several fronts: groups linked to the Islamic State and al-Qaeda in the Tillabéri and Tahoua regions near Mali and Burkina Faso, and Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province in the Diffa region near Lake Chad.

On 26 July 2023 the presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum and the military took power. French troops left by the end of 2023 and US forces by September 2024. Niger formed the Alliance of Sahel States with Mali and Burkina Faso and left ECOWAS in January 2025.

History

Niger became independent from France in 1960 and has experienced several military coups, as well as Tuareg rebellions in the north in the 1990s and 2000s. The country is a major producer of uranium and lies on important migration routes across the Sahara.

From the 2010s Niger faced armed groups on two fronts: Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province in the south-east near Lake Chad, and Sahel-based jihadist groups in the west near Mali and Burkina Faso. For several years it hosted French and US military bases as a key Western partner in the region. After the July 2023 coup, the military authorities asked both countries to withdraw their forces.

Main parties

Nigerien Armed Forces (FAN) — Under the military government led by General Abdourahamane Tiani.
Islamic State Sahel Province — Active in western Niger.
JNIM — Al-Qaeda-affiliated group active in the west.
Boko Haram and ISWAP — Active in the south-east near Lake Chad.

Key dates

2015-02 — Boko Haram carries out its first major attacks in the Diffa region.
2023-07-26 — The military detains President Bazoum and seizes power.
2023-09-16 — Niger joins Mali and Burkina Faso in the Alliance of Sahel States.
2023-12-22 — The last French troops leave Niger.
2024-08 — The last US base is handed over; the withdrawal is declared complete in September.
2025-01-29 — Niger’s withdrawal from ECOWAS takes effect.

Humanitarian situation

Insecurity, displacement, recurrent food crises and the economic effects of sanctions after the 2023 coup have increased humanitarian needs. Niger also hosts refugees from Mali, Nigeria and Burkina Faso.

How to read reports about Niger

Attacks in remote border areas are often reported days later and with few details.

Recent events

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