Eighteen months after seizing power in Niger, the military junta is struggling to contain an alarming surge in jihadist violence that has left hundreds of civilians dead and many women enslaved. As terror groups like Islamic State expand their foothold, capitalizing on the instability following the coup, eyewitness reports paint a grim picture of the junta’s failure to protect its people.
Civilians Left Vulnerable to Jihadist Attacks
In Niger’s Tillabéri region near the borders of Burkina Faso and Mali, jihadist assaults on villages like Libiri and Kokorou in December left dozens dead, houses burned, and valuables looted. Desperate civilians, mostly women and children, fled to the hills to escape the bloodshed. Hadjara Zibo, a 39-year-old widow from Libiri, described the terror:
“If they reached us, they could rape and kill us.”
– Hadjara Zibo, Libiri village
Women face unimaginable horrors, with jihadists deliberately killing their male relatives to assert control and leave them vulnerable. Many are forced to become jihadists’ wives or sex slaves. Zibo herself lost her husband to militants in 2021 and her sister was abducted last June.
Junta’s Anti-West Stance Fuels Crisis
Niger’s junta, led by Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani, seized power in July 2023 amid pro-Russian narratives blaming western alliances for the country’s insecurity. Despite promises of improved security, jihadist violence has doubled under the junta. Expelling western media has allowed propaganda to flourish, obscuring the true extent of attacks.
Experts argue Russia’s interest in the Sahel lies in propping up military regimes, not combating extremism or aiding civilians. The junta’s rejection of diplomatic efforts in favor of failed military strategies has only increased civilian casualties.
Women Bear the Brunt of Conflict
For displaced women in Niger, life is a daily struggle against starvation, sexual violence, and despair. International sanctions have cut off vital aid, leading to desperate measures like using rags for menstrual hygiene. Accessing maternal healthcare is near impossible in jihadist-controlled areas.
“I think the end is near. Women face horror and humiliation, and with no help from the junta, we are left at the mercy of the jihadists.”
– Hadjara Zibo
As media blackouts and the junta’s propaganda obscure the crisis, experts fear the conflict in Niger risks becoming a forgotten war, with women and children suffering the most for the regime’s failures. Without urgent action to combat the jihadist threat and alleviate civilian suffering, the Sahel security crisis threatens to spiral out of control.
