Tiani’s grip on power weakens as jihadist violence surges in Niger

Less than two years after seizing power,Niger’s junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani is struggling to contain a growing jihadist insurgency that threatens both his authority and national stability.

Despite bold promises to restore security and sovereignty after the 2023 coup,Tiani’s regime faces escalating attacks from al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and Islamic State fighters. In late May alone,around 100 soldiers were killed in twin assaults near the Malian and Beninese borders,exposing deep cracks in the army’s morale and capabilities. According to the latest analysis in The Africa Report,General Moussa Salaou Barmou,Niger’s chief of staff,has clashed with junta leaders over the military’s dire resourcing. His near-resignation in May reflects growing tensions within the ruling Comité National pour le Salut du Peuple (CNSP),particularly between Barmou and Defense Minister Salifou Mody,accused of lacking a clear strategy.

Tiani’s inner circle now includes anti-French ideologues and intelligence chief Souleymane Balla-Arabé,head of Niger’s external intelligence agency (DGDSE),who fuel conspiracy theories rather than concrete security solutions. Thus,in May,Tiani accused France’s secret service DGSE of plotting against him based on Balla-Arabé’s reports. With Niger’s economy reeling and jihadists advancing into gold-rich regions like Samira,Tiani’s anti-Western rhetoric is yielding few results on the ground. While Niamey’s junta still allies itself with fellow Sahel regimes in Mali and Burkina Faso,Niger’s people are increasingly asking: what has really changed? As the jihadist threat intensifies,so does the fear that military rule has offered only illusions of control.