Since seizing power in a July 2023 coup, Niger’s ruling General Abdourahamane Tiani has been navigating the country’s often treacherous roads, visiting regions battered by a growing jihadist insurgency. His goal is clear: to reassure civilians and demonstrate the state’s presence in areas long neglected or threatened by militants.
The security situation in Niger remains tense. Boko Haram has entrenched itself in the southwest near Lake Chad, while fighters linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have carved out strongholds in the western Tillaberi region. It is these lawless borderlands, spanning Mali and Burkina Faso, that Tiani has traversed by car since early October, meeting locals and inspecting infrastructure.
Analysts note that the tour serves multiple purposes. Beyond reassuring Nigeriens, it signals to the international community that the junta is actively confronting the country’s spiraling security crises. Tiani’s approach contrasts sharply with some of his junta-run neighbors; for instance, Malian coup leader Assimi Goita rarely ventures beyond Bamako for fear of jihadist attacks. “He was labelled as fearful, incapable of leaving his palace, and he rises to the challenge with an unprecedented tour,” a resident in the southwest Dosso region told state television during Tiani’s visit.
The tour stretches over 600 kilometres to the mining town of Arlit in northern Niger, a region plagued by armed groups slipping across the Sahara from Libya and Algeria. Observers, including Seidik Abba of the International Centre for Studies and Reflections on the Sahel, see Tiani’s journey as a move to assert state authority and maintain a measure of popular support. State television has amplified coverage, showing the general attending army briefings, meeting crowds, and visiting barracks, all while appearing unafraid to engage directly with citizens.
Each stop reinforces the junta’s “Niger-first” policy, particularly regarding uranium. Tiani has repeatedly emphasized that Niger should benefit more from being the world’s seventh-largest uranium producer, a stance that has strained relations with France. “Look at the state Arlit is in after 55 years of uranium mining. Even electricity is in short supply… From now on, our uranium belongs to us,” he declared in Agadez.
In a speech to the army, Tiani asserted, “Niger will remain standing, ready to make the ultimate sacrifice to defend itself.” Yet the security situation remains dire. Since March, the Islamic State’s Sahel branch has executed at least 127 people in five separate attacks across Tillaberi, and foreign nationals, including an American and European citizens, have been kidnapped.
The junta also continues to struggle with financial pressures, citing lingering effects of regional sanctions imposed after the coup, which have hampered payments to government officials. “The country is going through a not-so-rosy security and financial situation. This tour allows Tiani to get the populations behind his sovereignty policy,” a local analyst told Zoyols Blog on condition of anonymity.
Experts argue that reassuring civilians in unstable regions is crucial. Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter-Extremism Project noted that neighboring countries like Burkina Faso and Mali have largely neglected their northern territories. “You need to reassure the civilian population so that they see you as an ally, not as a threat,” he said.
Through his tour, Tiani is sending a message: the junta is present, engaged, and determined to maintain control in the face of persistent insurgent threats, while seeking to strengthen Niger’s sovereignty and legitimacy on the domestic and international stage.
