Official military funerals were held on Monday at Air Base 101 in Niamey for three members of the Presidential Guard killed during violent clashes over the night of August 28–29.
Organized by the State Protocol Directorate of the Nigerien Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the solemn ceremony honored Warrant Officer Illo Maihatchi along with Privates Yahya Idrissa Zamnaou and Ousmane Haboulé Hamissou. The proceedings included eulogies, prayers, and posthumous military decorations presented by the Prime Minister before government officials and grieving families, followed by the formal burial.
The fallen soldiers were killed during what Nigerien authorities and the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) have formally characterized as a coordinated destabilization attempt carried out by a group of renegade soldiers. According to national broadcaster Télé Sahel, the unrest began around 12:20 a.m. when rogue troops moved against key strategic sectors in the capital. Mutineers targeted several sensitive installations, including Air Base 101, where they reportedly took positions in barracks where fellow soldiers were being held.
Swift intervention by loyalist Defense and Security Forces successfully neutralized the assault and restored order across all affected sites. While the Nigerien Ministry of Defence initially described the threat as a contained revolt within the ranks, the AES praised the bravery and loyalty of the counter-responding troops, urging citizens across Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso to remain vigilant against disinformation and division. State authorities have not yet released a detailed casualty count or specified the full number of soldiers implicated in the failed uprising.
AC/Sf/fss/abj/APA