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Niger’s military-led government is tearing down thousands of illegally built homes in a sprawling neighbourhood next to the Niamey airport.
Authorities state that terrorists infiltrated the area to carry out an unprecedented attack earlier this year.
With bulldozers fast approaching, residents in the Kobontafa district of the capital have begun hastily dismantling their own roofs, doors, and windows to salvage materials before the demolition teams arrive.
The vast nation in West Africa’s Sahel region has battled violence from armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State for around a decade.
However, the conflict hit the capital directly on January 29, when the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS) claimed a surprise attack targeting the Diori Hamani International Airport and a military drone base.
Nigerien armed forces and allied Russian fighters repelled the strike, killing 20 assailants while four soldiers suffered injuries.
Junta chief General Abdourahamane Tiani later admitted on state television that a flaw in the system enabled the assault, which aimed to destroy the army’s entire air capabilities.
Terrorist Infiltration
The demolitions mostly target the eastern side of the airport, an area that Transport and Aviation Minister Colonel Amadou Abdramane described as anarchically occupied and the exact entry point for the attackers.
Interior Minister General Mohamed Toumba expressed fears that the neighbourhood could facilitate a new terrorist infiltration, which could also cause international authorities to downgrade the airport due to a lack of security.
Analysts and former lawmakers note that the entire Alliance of Sahel States—comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—must take drastic security measures following recent large-scale strikes in the region.
The state-ordered demolition affects roughly 26,000 people across four illegal neighbourhoods that occupy nearly a quarter of the airport zone. Displaced families are loading furniture and belongings onto cars and hired tricycles amid the rubble.
Inhuman Eviction
Civil society activist Maikoul Zodi criticised the move as a forced and inhuman eviction, arguing that while authorities deem the operation necessary, international and domestic laws require strict support measures for uprooting an entire small town.
While the government has promised compensation, it requires residents to officially register first, drawing criticism from analysts who argue the state should have provided housing before levelling the area.
Alongside the demolitions, the military rulers have implemented other strict security measures to protect the capital. Workers have extended the airport’s perimeter wall and installed more than 350 surveillance cameras.
Within Niamey, the government has banned vehicles transporting flammable products, hydrocarbons, butane gas, or explosives from approaching strategic sites like ministries and barracks without prior authorisation.
Furthermore, citing the enemy’s new infiltration methods, the interior ministry has banned mosques and Koranic schools from lodging any foreigners.
The state has also launched a nationwide awareness campaign encouraging citizens to report suspicious individuals to emergency services.
In response to these government directives, local youths have organised into evening watch brigades to guard major intersections across the capital.
