Niger Appoints Military Chief After Mutiny

Niger’s junta leader, Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani, appointed Brig. Gen. Mamane Sani Kiaou as chief of staff of the armed forces, replacing Maj. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou without giving a reason. The reshuffle came less than two weeks after a mutiny in Niamey in which soldiers seized a military base near the airport and attacked strategic sites before loyalist forces, supported by Russia’s Africa Corps, restored control. Three presidential guards were killed, while authorities arrested or killed mutineers but have not disclosed a full death toll or potential charges. Kiaou, a veteran commander who has led operations against jihadist groups and recently toured military garrisons to improve cohesion, was succeeded as army chief by Brig. Gen. Abdourahmane Abou Zataka. The changes signal an effort to reinforce the junta’s command structure as insecurity worsens and Niger continues its shift away from Western military partners toward Russia.