Timbuktu Institute - Week 1 - April 2026

In Niger, the Judicial Police has just carried out a major operation in Zinder, arresting several criminal gangs that had been actively undermining urban security. This is not a matter of terrorism, but of organized crime that complicates people’s daily lives: armed robberies, various forms of trafficking, assaults, and so on. Reading the reports, it becomes clear that these groups had become veritable small-scale criminal enterprises. For Niger’s transitional authorities, securing a city like Zinder is crucial given its status as a major economic hub. If merchants and residents live in fear, the economy risks grinding to a halt. This operation demonstrates that the state is capable of regaining the upper hand over common criminality. But vigilance must remain a priority, as these networks often have ties to other forms of trafficking, sometimes transnational. The next step would be to strengthen the justice system so that these arrests lead to exemplary sentences, in order to deter those who might be tempted to take over.