Nearly 130 people have been “summarily executed” in Niger since March by Islamist insurgents, according to a new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report. The killings include a massacre inside a mosque in the western Tillabéri region.
In June, gunmen stormed the mosque during prayers, shooting more than 70 worshippers. “There were bodies everywhere, one on top of the other,” a grieving woman who lost three sons told HRW.
The attacks begin to cast doubt on the capacity of Niger’s military junta, which seized power in 2023 after toppling President Mohamed Bazoum, to protect its people. It promised security, but more than 1,600 civilians have been killed since the coup, HRW pointed out, citing ACLED.
The jihadists have also destroyed schools, mosques, and homes, while enforcing severe restrictions on civilians based on their interpretation of Islam.
In May, fighters struck Dani Fari, killing five men and two boys. A herder described the scene: “The bodies were scattered … riddled with bullets. Not a single body had fewer than three bullet holes.”
Failure of Protection
Villagers accused the army of ignoring warnings about the attacks. HRW quoted witnesses saying troops failed to protect communities despite repeated pleas.
No group has claimed responsibility, but survivors identified fighters by their red-banded turbans, a trademark of Islamic State militants active across the Sahel.
Niger’s junta has allied with Mali and Burkina Faso in a regional pact and turned to Russia and Turkey for security support. Yet violence appears to be spreading rather than being curtailed.
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