Sustained heavy gunfire and loud explosions have been reported near the Diori Hamani International Airport outside Niger's capital, Niamey. Multiple eyewitness accounts and videos showed air defense systems apparently engaging unidentified projectiles shortly after midnight on Thursday.
Residents from the nearby neighborhood described the incidents, which caused panic but reportedly calmed down within two hours. While there are no confirmed details about casualties or the exact cause of the blasts, officials have indicated that the situation is now under control.
The gunfire began shortly after midnight and continued until the early morning hours. An official from the foreign affairs ministry commented, The situation is under control. There is no need to worry, although clarity on the situation's connection to a stuck uranium shipment at the airport—amid ongoing tensions with France over Niger's uranium production—remains murky.
Niamey's airport is not only crucial for civilians but also houses an air force base and is strategically located close to the presidential palace. The military government in Niger, which has been battling insurgent groups similar to those in neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, faces additional pressures with unresolved legal and diplomatic issues regarding uranium export.
