Africa-Press. The US State Department said it has ordered non-essential government personnel in emergency situations, along with their family members, to depart Niger due to security risks.
The country’s ruling military council accused France, Benin, and Côte d’Ivoire of backing those behind the attack, while thanking Russia for its assistance in countering them.
Niamey International Airport was hit by a large-scale attack in the early hours of Thursday, 29 January 2026, in an unprecedented security development that thrust the Nigerien capital back into the spotlight of regional and international tensions.
In a travel alert, the State Department said that “the US government is unable to provide routine or emergency services to US citizens outside Niamey due to security risks”.
The department also cited rising risks of crime, civil unrest, terrorism, health concerns, and kidnapping, urging US government employees in Niger to use armoured vehicles for all movements and to comply with the mandatory curfew.
Niger faces serious security challenges due to the activity of armed groups such as the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims and the Islamic State group, with continued attacks, civilian casualties, and mass displacement, particularly in the western regions.
For nearly a decade, the country has suffered deadly attacks by groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, which have killed around 2,000 people since the start of 2025, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, a non-governmental organisation that tracks conflicts. The south-eastern regions of the country have also been targeted by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province.
