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Mutinying soldiers led armed clashes in Niamey, Niger’s capital, on Saturday, shocking residents, but the junta said it had largely wrested back control after hours of heavy exchanges around some of its most sensitive sites.

But while the fighting had subsided later Saturday, the rebel troops were said by a regional security source and an African diplomatic source to still be holding two barracks around Niamey, including one at a large air base near the capital’s airport.

When the fighting broke out, shortly after midnight, soldiers blocked access to the presidential palace and to the national television station, Tele Sahel, which went off the air for just over an hour, before being restored around 10:00 am (0900 GMT).

Niger’s junta later declared, in a statement read on state television, that it “gradually took back control” after hours of clashes.

“There was an attempt by insurgents from the Nigerien armed forces to enter the presidential palace,” a security source said, adding that “they were pushed back by the presidential guard”.

Niger’s defence minister, General Salifou Mody, said in the statement on state television that a group of soldiers held some troops hostage at a barracks in Niamey and opened fire at “certain sensitive sites” in the city, without specifying which ones.

“The prompt reaction of the defence and security forces made it possible to contain this heated moment, and they gradually took back control of these sites,” he added.

Mody’s statement called on the population to “remain calm and freely go about their business”.

Niger has been ruled for three years by a military junta led by General Abdourahamane Tiani that has struggled to contain jihadist violence flaring in the west African country for around a decade.

“Everything is calm again, we can’t hear any more shooting,” a resident of the Yantala district close to the presidential palace said late Saturday morning.

The gunfire began in the early hours of Saturday morning, prompting the military to issue a statement on its social media pages urging people to stay calm and “avoid sharing unverified information”.

“Our defence and security forces have been mobilised for the defence of the homeland,” the statement said.

One resident said that there was “heavy gunfire and explosions” at Base 101 in Niamey, a claim confirmed by several other witnesses.

Junta supporters called for “sincere patriots” to demonstrate in support of the authorities at a major Niamey square.

By late afternoon, a few dozen people had converged on the square, where military music praising General Tiani was playing while a platform intended for speeches was being set up.

Neighbouring Algeria condemned Saturday’s events and pledged support for the Niamey government.

The first shots were heard at about 1 a.m. local time and continued until daybreak, according to a video published by a local journalist filming the area around the airport.

Another resident said he heard “bursts of gunfire” at about 7:00 am local time, adding that the weapons heard “are not the kind that terrorists on motorbikes can carry”.

“I went to get credit for my phone. I saw a military vehicle heading towards the base that had to turn back,” he said.

Another resident in the west of Niamey said he heard sporadic small-arms fire at about 5:00 am.

Videos online showed armoured vehicles deployed to reinforce the neighbourhood near the airport.

Rival Jihadist Groups

Niamey airport has been targeted twice this year by jihadists, first by the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS) in January, then in late June by its rival, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), the Sahel branch of Al-Qaeda.

The jihadist groups not only target civilians and the military but are also struggling for dominance over each other in the Sahel, and especially in Niger.

Twenty assailants were killed and four soldiers wounded in the January assault, authorities said at the time.

In June, at least 11 soldiers and two civilians were killed, as well as 22 attackers, according to the defence ministry. Both attacks were repelled by the army.

The EIS and JNIM are also active in neighbouring allies Burkina Faso and Mali, which are also ruled by military juntas that seized power in coups.

The three countries quit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc, turned their backs on traditional Western partners in the fight against jihadist violence, especially France, and sought closer ties with Russia.

Air Force Base 101, located within the international airport complex, is home to the headquarters of Russia’s Africa Corps in Niamey and the command of the unified force of the Alliance of Sahel States, of which Niger is a member with Burkina Faso and Mali.

The site is sensitive. Between December and January, it hosted a large shipment of uranium concentrate, which was held up while awaiting export. No movement of the shipment has been identified since.

AFP

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the credentials and other particulars of all the governorship and House of Assembly candidates submitted to the commission by their various political parties for the forthcoming general elections.

A scrutiny of the Form EC-9 containing the credentials and pasted at the commission’s office along Aba Road, Port Harcourt, showed that 19 governorship candidates had been accepted by INEC to contest the Rivers election.

The names of the candidates, their ages, political parties, their educational backgrounds and other credentials were displayed at the commission’s office.

Also published in the forms were the deputy governorship candidates of each party apart from those of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Boot Party (BP) whose forms EC-9 could not be seen where others were displayed.

Rep Ogundu Kingsley Chinda, the APC flag bearer, Lulu-Briggs Dumo Owukor, the candidate of the NDC while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and his running mate were listed as Gabriel Pidomson and Okumgba David Amapakaye.

Other governorship candidates and their running mates are the PDP, Ejekwu Samuel Soni and Ehuwa Kabaka; Accord, Chibuzor Rani and Davies Ikubogh; APP, Tata Kenneth and Dappa Kelvin; ADP, Lawson Angel and Azunwena Regina; BP, Benjamin Oli, no deputy; DLA, Warighani Zebulum and Joseph Udo; NRM, Minaibim Harry and Iwedi Ogonda Ada; SDP, Azimiku Gidiom and Ogochukwu Hekerem; PRP, Kiegha Nature Dumale and Membere Deborah.

Others are ZLP, Harry Victor Godwin and Agumba Nnamdi; APGA, Obu Omangima and John-Woke Geraldine; AAC, West Ivy and Eletuo Ijendu; AA, Eke Benjamin Israel and Awortu Charles; NNPP, Abiye Georgewell and Gbimadee Raymond; YPP, Johnbull Obrasu and Taagaloobari Celestine; APM, Whyte Churchill and Bardom Zaavalo.

INEC also displayed the forms EC-9 of the House of Assembly candidates for the 2027 general elections with few parties fielding candidates for all 32 state constituencies in Rivers.

While the PDP, the NDC and ADC produced candidates for all the constituencies, other parties such as AA had 29; APP, 29; NRM, 15; ZLP, 20; BP, 3; AAC, 1; LP, 13; YPP, 26; PRP, 13; DLA, 20; SDP, 31; ADP, 14 among others. (The Nation)

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Vice President Kashim Shettima on Saturday evening arrived in Luanda, the capital of Angola, for the 21st Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.

The summit is taking place between August 29 and 30, 2026.

Senator Shettima, who arrived at 4th February International Airport, Luanda, at about 4: 45 pm local time, was received by the country’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Esmeralda Medonca and other senior government officials.

The Nigerian officials who welcomed the Vice President were the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd), the Nigerian Charge d’Affaires, Amb. Mazy Ogbede, Minister of Interior, Mr. Tunji Ojo, Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fag emi, SAN, Chairman and CEO, Nigeria Diaspora Commission, Mrs Abike Dabrri-Erewa, among other government officials.

The 21st Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union with the theme: “Strengthening Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa,” is aimed at deepening dialogue among member states and reinforcing African responses to peace and security challenges.

Upon arrival, Vice President Shettima, who is representing President Bola Tinubu at the Summit, received a briefing from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu and other experts from the Nigerian Embassy.

As part of the preparations of the 26th Extraordinary Session of the African Union Executive Council, foreign ministers and experts in foreign relations held a meeting earlier on Saturday.

The Executive Council provides a platform for political consultations among AU member states on conflict prevention and the promotion of peace and stability.

The Angolan Summit is expected to provide an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of existing instruments and to discuss more coordinated responses to conflicts on the continent.