Niger Armed Forces Recover Massive Arsenal After August 29 Coup Attempt

Niger’s national public broadcaster, Télé Sahel, reported that an inventory conducted at Base 101 in Niamey after the August 29 coup attempt uncovered a “disproportionately large war arsenal” comprising heavy weapons, rockets, explosives, and ammunition—capable, according to the report, of destroying the capital city multiple times.

Weapons recovered from Base 101

The broadcaster described the cache as a “genuine war arsenal” belonging to elements of the Special Reconnaissance Battalion (BSR/COS) under the Special Operations Command. These personnel are alleged to have led the coup attempt, abducted fellow soldiers stationed at the base, and subsequently attacked strategic sites across Niamey.

Télé Sahel stated the seized materiel included 34 armed light trucks, two VBL light armored vehicles—one of which was destroyed—and dozens of motorcycles. The haul also comprised 382 Kalashnikov rifles, 36 RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 30 PKM machine guns, 6,127 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, four sniper rifles, one 82mm mortar, and 17 automatic pistols, alongside additional ammunition stocks and communications equipment.

The broadcaster characterized the scale of the weapons seizure as “astonishing.”

Military unit background and conduct

Télé Sahel asserted that members of the BSR/COS battalion “did not merely violate military regulations but also used available military means to threaten the Republic and oppose the rebuilding of Niger—a project pursued with pride by the Nigerien people.”

The channel clarified that the BSR/COS unit was established, trained, and equipped after the July 26, 2023 coup specifically to combat terrorism and trafficking in Niger and across the Sahel Alliance countries.

Call for returning soldiers

Simultaneously, the Niger Armed Forces urged soldiers who participated in the August 29 coup attempt and are currently “outside their units” to return to military ranks.

Those soldiers were instructed to report individually to the Gendarmerie School in Niamey or to regional gendarmerie brigades, bringing with them all weapons, ammunition, and military equipment in their possession.

A statement signed by Brigadier General Moussa Salaou Barma, Chief of Staff of the Niger Armed Forces, declared: “The General Staff of the Armed Forces affirms its readiness to welcome all those who, out of a sense of responsibility and loyalty to the nation, choose to rejoin the ranks of the army.”

The military also called on citizens to report any suspicious individuals in their neighborhoods.

Civilian uniform restrictions

The Ministry of Interior, Public Security, and Territorial Administration banned civilians from wearing full military uniforms or insignia, citing the “current security situation.”

This directive applies across Niamey, except for authorized government personnel. Violators were warned they would face “the full force of the law.”

Pro-government Nigerien forces—including the Presidential Guard and Russian personnel from the Africa Corps—thwarted the attempted coup on August 29.

Defense Minister General Salifou Modi stated that the mutinous soldiers seized Base 101 at Diori Hamani International Airport and launched attacks on strategic locations throughout Niamey—but that these operations failed.