Niger mutiny puts Russia’s expanding role in the Sahel to the test
Failed uprising in Niamey exposed tensions in Niger’s military, and the role of the Africa Corps in suppressing unrest.
![The failed mutiny highlights tensions inside Niger’s military and the growing role of Russia’s Africa Corps in supporting the junta [AFP]](https://aljazeeranews-3fuh52rgrl.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/33U94LZ-highres-1693718660.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
![Journalist reads out a statement on Niger's State TV from the Defence Ministry stating security forces moved quickly to contain the mutiny. Niamey, Niger, August 29, 2026 [Screenshot from AFP file]](https://aljazeeranews-3fuh52rgrl.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/image-1788022898.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
![A Malian soldier stands near a truck during a patrol following the attack on Mali's main military base Kati, outside the capital Bamako, in Kati, Mali, April 27, 2026 [Stringer/Reuters]](https://aljazeeranews-3fuh52rgrl.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2026-04-27T121509Z_1695817415_RC2MXKAWT8W6_RTRMADP_3_MALI-SECURITY-1787963389.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
![Security cooperation in the Sahel has become increasingly fragmented as regional governments pursue different approaches to fighting armed groups [Philippe Desmazes/AFP]](https://aljazeeranews-3fuh52rgrl.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/000_Par8191835.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
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![A Malian refugee now willing to the identified sits in his tent in Dounkara village, Mauritania [Shola Lawal/Al Jazeera]](https://aljazeeranews-3fuh52rgrl.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/P1040667-1776903867.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
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![Captain Ibrahim Traore’s relationship with Muslim leaders has come under strain as his government tightens control over religious affairs. [File: Stanislav Krasilnikov/RIA Novosti via AP]](https://aljazeeranews-3fuh52rgrl.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ap_68b6dc86197ff-1756814470.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
