Military leaders in Niger say they have regained control after rebel soldiers attacked key locations in the country's capital, with gunfire erupting overnight on the streets near the airport, according to CBC News. The broadcaster described the events in the West African nation as a chaotic and developing situation.
According to a journalist speaking to CBC News, grievances behind the attack include the rising cost of living and issues of corruption that some soldiers say the government has not been dealing with well. He said a number of soldiers were unhappy with how those problems had been handled by the authorities.
CBC News reported that President Abdourahamane Tchiani took power through a military coup in 2023. At the time, Tchiani was the head of the presidential palace, and soldiers from the presidential guard that he led detained the then president, Mohamed Bazoum, according to the broadcaster.
According to CBC News, the soldiers who ousted Bazoum said he had mismanaged the country and had given France a lot of rights to obtain minerals and other important resources, and they also raised issues of corruption. Bazoum was removed from power, and Tchiani was later sworn in as the country's president.
CBC News reported that Niger has faced a great deal of insecurity, with groups linked to Islamist militants such as al-Qaeda and Islamic State causing insecurity in the area and killing people. The journalist said many soldiers are unhappy about how the security situation in the country has deteriorated.
According to CBC News, the president says the authorities are determined to ensure that security is maintained in the area and that no other coup attempt is carried out by mutinying soldiers. CBC said the government has resources but has not been able to do enough to secure people in the affected parts of the country.