NIAMEY, Niger — Sustained heavy gunfire and loud explosions were reported overnight near Diori Hamani International Airport, on the outskirts of Niger’s capital, prompting panic among nearby residents and raising fresh security questions in a country already strained by jihadist violence and political upheaval.
A Reuters witness said the gunfire and blasts were heard close to the airport in the early hours of Thursday, with the exchange continuing for nearly an hour after it began. Residents living in neighbourhoods near the airport told AFP the incident started shortly after midnight and eased roughly two hours later, with calm returning by around 2 a.m., according to multiple reports.
Videos circulating online appeared to show air-defence fire or interception activity over the airport area, with witnesses describing what looked like defensive systems engaging unidentified projectiles. The footage has not been independently verified by major news agencies.
No official statement has been issued by Niger’s military-led government and there were no immediate confirmed reports of casualties or damage. One official at the foreign affairs ministry told Anadolu Agency that “the situation is under control” and urged residents not to worry, without providing details on the cause.
The airport sits about 10 km (six miles) from the presidential palace and hosts an air force base, making it a sensitive site in a capital that has faced periodic security scares since the July 2023 coup that brought General Abdourahamane Tiani to power.
The incident also comes amid heightened attention on the airport due to an unresolved dispute over a large uranium shipment that has been stranded at Niamey’s airport complex for weeks, according to AFP reporting based on satellite imagery and multiple sources. The shipment, estimated at over 1,000 tonnes, has become a diplomatic and legal flashpoint following Niger’s move to assert greater control over uranium assets previously linked to French firm Orano.
Niger, one of the world’s leading uranium producers, has sharply deteriorated ties with France since the coup and has accused Orano of wrongdoing, while Orano has challenged Niger’s actions through legal channels and denied allegations.
Authorities said they were still determining whether the overnight gunfire had any link to the uranium cargo.
