Niger’s lawyers have announced a two-day strike on Thursday and Friday to protest against the military government’s dissolution of the West African country’s justice unions. The lawyers accuse the junta, which seized power in the jihadist-hit Sahel nation in a July 2023 coup, of threatening the independence of the justice system. Last week, the junta’s…
The Nigerien junta have detained three journalists working for the independent Sahara FM radio station, marking the latest crackdown on press freedom since the military seized power in 2023. The journalists — Hamid Mahmoud, the station’s news editor; Mahaman Sani, who filed the report; and Massaouda Jaharou — were arrested this week in the northern…
In a landmark move that clearly reflects Niger’s growing desire to reclaim its cultural and political narrative, the country has formally removed French as an official language—elevating Hausa, a widely spoken indigenous language, to national status. This sweeping decision was made official through the Refoundation Charter, a government framework published recently in Niger’s Official Journal…
Leader of Niger’s ruling junta, Abdourahamane Tiani, has been officially sworn in as transitional president for five years under a newly established charter. Tiani, a former presidential guard commander who led the 2023 coup, was also elevated to the highest military rank of army general. GISTSMATE MEDIA reports that following his inauguration, he signed a…
Thirteen Nigerien soldiers were killed in two separate clashes with jihadist groups, the army said Wednesday. During the first incident, at a gold mining site in the western Tillaberi region, “nine soldiers fell in combat” with Islamic State affiliates, the army said in an operations bulletin. The March 15 attack involved reinforcements arriving from across…
Despite growing complaints from marketers over revenue losses, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) declared on Monday that the stations would remain closed. For about four years, over 400 filling stations owned by independent oil marketers in Nigeria’s border communities have remained shut following the Nigerian government’s directive to curb petrol smuggling into neighbouring countries. Despite…
Niger Republic has seek Nigeria’s assistance to alleviate a severe fuel scarcity crisis that has brought the country to a standstill. For weeks, Niger has been grappling with a crippling fuel shortage, leading to long queues at petrol stations, skyrocketing black-market prices, and widespread economic disruption. “Our tanks have been dry for three days. No-one…
The Republic of Niger has begun enforcing restrictions on Nigerians traveling with the ECOWAS passport, barring entry for those without a valid international passport. This move follows the country’s recent withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States alongside Mali and Burkina Faso. Despite maintaining an open border with Nigeria, new immigration measures are…
At least 46 soldiers of the Nigerien defense and security forces (SDF) were reported killed in an attack by militants of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS) on Saturday. According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, the attack targeted an SDF position in Iknewane, Tilia department, near…
Troops of the 1 Brigade, Operation FANSAN YANMA, in collaboration with operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), have intercepted a cache of weapons intended for terrorist groups in Zamfara State. The operation, carried out between January 26 and 27, was based on credible intelligence about suspected arms dealers operating from Niger Republic. Acting…