Niger military change heads of service - who be di new chief of staff

Niger military rulers don replace di head of di armed forces.

Dis dey come less dan two weeks afta one deadly mutiny wey bin challenge dia authority.

One decree wey dem read on state television late on Friday, 11 September, bin announce say Brigadier General Mamane Sani Kiaou na di new chief of staff.

Im succeed Major General Moussa Salaou Barmou, wey be senior junta figure since di July 2023 coup wey bin remove President Mohamed Bazoum.

Di reshuffle dey come afta one dramatic 24‑hour mutiny for Niamey at di end of August.

Young sojas bin storm di Base 101 for di airport wey dey di capital as dem bin take colleagues hostage.

Dem bin also fire sensitive sites. Analysts say dem bin dey para sake of militant violence and poor conditions wey dey worse.

General Abdourahmane Abou Zataka don take di position as army chief of staff, according to di same decree.

How strong Niger army be?

Niger dey rank 120th out of 145 kontris wit di strongest military for di world, as di Global Firepower Center tok, one research center for global military power, for 2026.

Di data show say Niger get large population, but di number of dia troops dey small compare to di kontri population.

Niger get about 26,342,784 population, 7.9 million or 30 percent, dey ready to join di military, and from dem, about 5.2 million dey eligible but dem neva recruit dem.

Each year, about 447,827 pipo reach di age to serve for military, but dem dey estimate say Niger get total military force of only 30,000, less dan one percent of di kontri population.

Out of dis, 25,000 soldiers dey work day and night. Niger no get troops wey dey sleep.

Di remaining 5,000 dey for oda security agencies.

According to Global Firepower estimate, di kontri fit recruit 223,914 pipo for military service for di first six to 12 months, wit di number go rise to 345,051 for di second year, 543,110 for di third year, and 656,620 from di fourth year onwards.

Army strength

Niger military structure dey focus more on ground forces. E dey estimate say dem get 10,000 ground troops, while dem get air force of about 1,250.

Niger no get navy, as e be landlocked kontri for all sides of dia borders.

Air Force

Niger air force dey relatively small. Di kontri get total of 26 aircraft, wey include two attack aircraft, seven transport aircraft, two special operations aircraft, and 13 helicopters.

Of di helicopters, two dey designed for attack.

Nigerien military weapons

Di kontri get about 1,550 armored fighting vehicles, but e no get battle tanks, self-propelled artillery, vehicle-towed artillery, vehicle-towed artillery or large-scale rocket launchers.

Niger get 26 airports and about 18,949 kilometers of roads, but no railways or ports. E get about 300 kilometers of navigable waterways.

Niger no get specialized fighter jets, e no get tankers or pilot training aircraft.

Di lack of combat aircraft na one of di major weaknesses wey di figures show for Niger military strength.

Security budget

Data from di Global Firepower Center show say di kontri defense budget no dey pass $488.4 million, dem rank am 115th out of 145 kontris defense spending.

Presidential guard units bin struggle to take back di base until Russia Africa Corps intervene wit ground and air support.

Tori be say dozens of mutineers either kpai or dem detain dem.

Though authorities neva confam di actual number. Three guard members also kpai.

Di airport now dey host Russian forces and di joint Sahel alliance wit Mali and Burkina Faso.

Security dey worse since Niger bin end military cooperation wit France and di United States, according to analysts.

Dis reshuffle dey show how weak di junta grip on power, as Niger dey face mounting insurgent attacks and growing reliance on foreign military backing.

Wetin don happun for Niger recently

For August, Niger fight to regain control of dia key military airbase for di capital, Niamey, afta revolutionary soldiers attack di site plus oda strategic locations.

Di fighting, wey start early on Saturday, 29 August na di latest challenge to military ruler Abdourahamane Tiani, wey im govment for a long time now dey battle long- and increasingly severe jihadist insurgency.

Niger authorities tok say dem contain di opposition sojas and forces wey dey loyal don restore order.

Di Ministry of Defence explain say some group of soldiers wey break military rules bin detain some of dia colleagues for Base 101 for di early hours of Saturday, 29 August.

Di sojas also open fire for several sensitive locations for di capital, di ministry tok.

Niger state-run television bin describe di attacks for Niamey, as attempted coup, but say di situation dey under control.

Earlier reports say di mutineers bin try to detain military personnel for di base and dem fire gunshots on several sensitive locations for Niamey.

Heavy gunshots and explosions blast across parts of Niger capital, Niamey early mormor on Saturday, according to eyewitnesses. Dem say serious fight happun near Diori Hamani International Airport, di military Base 101 and di presidential palace.

By September 2026, Niger army say dem find large amount of weapons and military equipment for Base 101 for Niamey afta di failed mutiny wey happun for different parts of di kontri.

Dem say di weapons wey dem uncova include heavy weapons, rockets, explosives and large quantities of ammunition.

According to di state broadcaster Tele Sahel, dem say di ammunitions wey di Niger Army find and di kain amount wey dem find na serious threat to di kontri capital and oda military formations.

Base 101 na strategic military air base formation for Niger capital, and e no far from di airport too.