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Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Niger’s military rulers to step up efforts to protect civilians from a wave of deadly assaults carried out by Islamist militants in the west of the country.
The organisation said fighters from the Islamic State Sahel Province had executed more than 127 villagers and worshippers in five separate attacks since March, accusing authorities of repeatedly ignoring warnings from residents who had pleaded for protection.
One of the worst incidents occurred in June 21 in the village of Manda, when gunmen stormed a mosque during prayers and opened fire, killing over 70 people. Survivors described harrowing scenes, with bodies piled on top of one another, including children among the dead. Witnesses identified the attackers as Islamic State militants, recognisable by the distinctive red turbans they wear.
The Tillaberi region, where the massacres took place, lies on Niger’s border with Mali and Burkina Faso, both also engulfed in insurgencies. Niger is simultaneously under threat from Boko Haram around Lake Chad in the east and from groups affiliated with both Al-Qaeda and Islamic State in the west.
Since seizing power in a coup in July 2023, General Abdourahamane Tiani’s junta has struggled to contain escalating violence. Residents told Human Rights Watch that security forces failed to act on advance warnings of attacks, leaving communities defenceless.
“These atrocities, which amount to war crimes under international law, demand urgent accountability,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, the organisation’s senior Sahel researcher. “Nigerien authorities need to do more to protect people living in the Tillaberi region from the brutality of armed Islamist groups.”
Data from the conflict monitor Acled, cited by Human Rights Watch, suggests Islamic State fighters have killed around 1,600 civilians in Niger since the coup two years ago.
