In the early hours of Saturday, gunfire and explosions were heard in Niamey. Mutinous soldiers first captured their own comrades at the international airport base, then attacked other strategic locations in the city. For a short time they also occupied the state television building.

The shooting began around one o'clock local time and lasted about six hours, according to reports from the ground. Several parts of Niamey lost power. Niger's defence ministry later announced, through that same state television, that the mutiny had been suppressed and control was gradually being restored. A senior military official, who wished to remain anonymous, claims the national security forces managed to defend the presidential palace.

The third attempt this year

There were similar incidents in Niamey in January and in mid-June. That makes this the third such event in a year - under a military government that itself came to power in a coup.

Niger has been under military rule since July 2023, when President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown. The country is rich in minerals, with significant uranium, oil and gold resources. The obvious question presents itself immediately: if that much in resources does not bring stability, what exactly does it bring, and to whom?

The promises that were not kept

Like its neighbours Burkina Faso and Mali, Niger has failed to turn the tide in the fight against Islamist insurgents linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, despite the military rulers' promises to improve security. Al-Qaeda's West African affiliate claimed responsibility for the attack on Niamey airport in June - five months after Islamic State in the Sahel Province targeted the same location.

So the same airport has been a target three times in less than a year, twice by jihadist groups and once by its own army. It is hard to find a clearer indicator that military rule has not delivered the one thing it justified itself with.

From Paris towards Moscow

Since taking power, Abdourahamane Tiani's government has moved away from Western partners, deepened ties with Russia and broken with the regional bloc ECOWAS, joining Mali and Burkina Faso in forming the separate AES bloc.

That is the pattern worth noting: a military government that legitimises itself through security, loses the security, and then changes its partner instead of its policy. Switching foreign orientation is cheaper than reform and louder on television.

An audio message also circulated online in which mutinous soldiers claim to have overthrown Tiani, but the recording has not been verified and there is no official confirmation. In a country where state television is among the first targets, control of the signal is part of control of the state.