Source : Sahel weather May 2025

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On 4 May 2025, an attack described as "terrorist" led to the deaths of several Nigerien soldiers near Dogon Kiria, in the Dogondoutchi department in the Dosso region of south-west Niger. The attack, which occurred at around 5pm, also left seven wounded, one of whom is in a critical condition, and around ten dead, according to the public radio station Voix du Sahel. This region, which the authorities do not consider to be a jihadist hotbed, has nevertheless been the target of acts of sabotage attributed to armed groups from Nigeria. In particular, they have targeted the pipeline that transports crude oil to Benin. Several assailants were killed and a number of accomplices arrested. The regional governor, Colonel Bana Alhassane, went to the scene to express his condolences to the families of those killed.

The following night, from 5 to 6 May 2025, members of Boko Haram attacked two police checkpoints in Diffa, in the east of the country. However, the security forces repelled them.

These tragedies are taking place in a country where violence has persisted since the coup d'état of July 2023, which caused the death of more than 2,400 people, according to the NGO Acled. These events are further proof of the constant pressure on Niger's border regions. The actions of jihadist groups affiliated to al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and Boko Haram, which are taking advantage of the unstable situation in the country, are a major factor.

On 18 May, an attack by armed individuals on a delivery convoy on the Dori-Téra road linking northern Burkina Faso to south-western Niger resulted in the tragic death of three Nigerien drivers and several injuries. In a press release issued the following day, the Union des Travailleurs du Transport et Assimilés du Niger (UTTAN) strongly condemned this "odious attack", which took place in a region often targeted by terrorist organisations. The union also urged the armed forces to step up protection of communication routes.

Mass migrant refoulements: Niger under tension between humanitarian emergency and security issues

In April, Niger experienced an unprecedented wave of refoulements of migrants from Algeria. The Assamaka police counted more than 6,000 people at the border. This migratory pressure has led to overcrowding in IOM accommodation centres, prompting the Niger authorities to speed up their repatriation programme between now and July in order to avoid a humanitarian disaster. The Nigerien government, through the Minister of the Interior, has denounced a situation that is upsetting the national security balance. According to the NGO Alarme Phone Sahara, more than 31,000 people were expelled in 2024. The migrants, from West and Central Africa, are to be reintegrated into their countries of origin in coordination with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR).

To cope with the influx of migrants in northern Niger, the country has pledged to repatriate more than 4,000 migrants by July, in collaboration with the IOM. The aim of this measure is to prevent a humanitarian crisis arising from the mass arrival of people expelled from Algeria. Since 2014, Algeria has been regularly turning back irregular migrants, mainly from Niger and other countries in Central and West Africa. Faced with the massive influx of migrants and its repercussions on security, the Nigerien government is calling for an increase in the means of voluntary repatriation with the help of the IOM.