Niger Junta Chief Tchiani Names New Military Commander After Foiled Mutiny
Kiaou replaces Major General Moussa Salaou Barmou, who had served as the country’s top military commander since the July 2023 coup that removed democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum.
THE NATIONAL LENS reports that the appointment was announced in a decree read on Niger’s state television late Friday. No official reason was given for Barmou’s replacement.
The leadership change comes less than two weeks after soldiers staged a nearly 24-hour mutiny at Base 101, located near Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, on August 28 and 29.
According to reports, the mostly young soldiers took fellow military personnel hostage and opened fire at sensitive locations. The mutiny was eventually put down after Russia’s Africa Corps intervened with ground and aerial support.
Dozens of mutineers were reportedly killed or arrested, while three members of the presidential guard were killed during the operation. Nigerien authorities have yet to disclose the overall casualty figures or announce charges against detained soldiers.
The mutiny reportedly reflected growing frustration among some soldiers over deteriorating security conditions and poor military welfare, particularly among troops deployed in areas severely affected by militant attacks.
Kiaou, the newly appointed military chief, is a veteran field commander who has previously overseen military operations in Niger’s troubled Tillaberi region in the west and Diffa in the southeast.
His appointment places an experienced battlefield commander at the head of Niger’s armed forces as the Tchiani-led administration faces persistent jihadist violence and renewed questions about military cohesion following the mutiny.
The development also comes amid Niger’s deepening military partnership with Russia following the junta’s decision to end defence cooperation with France and the United States.
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