Niger: Niamey airport area demolitions leave families homeless

As Niger’s fight against Islamist terrorism continues, residents whose homes are being demolished in the Niamey airport area have been left homeless, according to RFI and agencies on June 9th.

Starting on May 31st, demolitions in areas surrounding Niamey’s International Airport have occurred, with officials citing security concerns as the reason for the demolitions of housing developments that house approximately 26,000 people.

Nigerien authorities claim that the housing developments on these lands are illegal, which residents have disputed.

Residents also requested the demolitions be postponed to allow for organisation, but this request was denied; reportedly, residents have not been rehoused or compensated, despite authorities’ promises.

Justice Minister Alio Daouda addressed these concerns, stating that “The State cannot leave citizens in the streets.”

Daouda justified the tight deadlines by citing “security imperatives which cannot wait.”

Groups affiliated with the Islamic State and al-Qaeda are particularly active in Niger’s western Tillabéri region, which borders Mali.

Although jihadists are not typically active in Niamey, concerns about kidnappings of foreign nationals by jihadists led the German embassy to temporarily withdraw its staff in March.

Niamey’s airport was attacked on January 29th; the building is a strategic hub containing military bases, the headquarters of the Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali Joint Force and a uranium stockpile.

Despite the Islamic State claiming responsibility for the attack, Niger’s junta implicated, without evidence, France and its “West African lackeys”, namely Benin and the Ivory Coast, in the attack.

Burkina Faso and Mali, Niger’s fellow junta-led regional allies, have also accused the Ivory Coast and Benin of acting as French proxies to destabilise the Sahel over their continued ties to Paris; historically, all five countries were French colonies.

The Sahel allies have increasingly rejected Western ties in favour of strategic and security partnerships with Russia.

However, Russian mercenaries have been implicated in human rights violations, including sexual violence and murder, particularly in Mali.

In June 2025, the International Criminal Court was asked to investigate alleged Russian war crimes in West Africa.

Maghrebi contacted Niger’s Ministry of Justice for comment on reports that Niamey airport area residents have become homeless following the demolitions, but has not received a response at the time of publication.

RFI and agencies, Maghrebi.org