![Niger Army 322nd Parachute Regiment](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Niger_Army_322nd_Parachute_Regiment.jpg)
The Niger Armed Forces (french: Forces armées nigériennes) (FAN) includes military armed force service branches (
Niger Army and
Niger Air Force), paramilitary services branches (
National Gendarmerie of Niger and
National Guard of Niger) and the
National Police National Police may refer to the national police forces of several countries:
*Afghanistan: Afghan National Police
*Haiti: Haitian National Police
*Colombia: National Police of Colombia
*Cuba: Cuban National Police
*East Timor: National Police of ...
. The
Niger Army,
Niger Air Force and the
National Gendarmerie of Niger are under the
Ministry of Defense
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...
whereas the
National Guard of Niger and the National Police fall under the command of the
Ministry of Interior
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
. With the exception of the National Police, all military and paramilitary forces are trained in military fashion. The
President of Niger
This is a list of heads of state of Niger since the country gained independence from France in 1960 to the present day.
A total of ten people have served as head of state of Niger.
The current head of state of Niger is the President of the Re ...
is the supreme commander of the entire armed forces.
Military armed forces
The two military service branches (Niger Army and Niger Air Force) are each headed by their respective Chiefs of Staff who serve as adjunct to the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Military Armed Forces (French: ''Chef d'Etat Major des Armées''). Military operations are headed from the Joint Staff Office (French: Etat Major General des Armées). In addition, each military branch has its own Staff Office. The Joint Chief of Staff has operational command of all the military forces and is under the command of civilian
Minister of Defense (Niger)
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
, who reports to the
President of Niger
This is a list of heads of state of Niger since the country gained independence from France in 1960 to the present day.
A total of ten people have served as head of state of Niger.
The current head of state of Niger is the President of the Re ...
. This system closely resembles the
French Armed forces model.
The President also appoints the Special Chief of Staff at the President Office and the head of the Presidential Guard who answer directly to the President. The Special Chief of Staff and the head of the Presidential Guard sit on the Joint Staff.
[Au Conseil des ministres : le gouvernement adopte plusieurs projets de lois et des mesures nominatives](_blank)
. Government of Niger, 2011-06-11.[Passation de Commandement à la Garde Présidentielle : le Lieutenant Colonel Tiani Abdourahamane prend le Commandement](_blank)
Oumarou Moussa, Le Sahel (Niamey), 2011-04-19.
Niger Army
The Niger Army is the land military armed forces of Niger with 5,200 personnel. Units include logistics, motorized infantry, airborne infantry, artillery and armoured companies. There is a total of 10 pure motorized infantry battalions, three of which are Saharan. The other battalions are mixed, like the ones in Niamey (12
eme Battaillion Inter Armes de Niamey), Zinder, Tahoua and Madawela. The 24th ''Batallion Interarmees'' at
Dirkou
Dirkou is a town in the Bilma Department, Agadez Region of north-eastern Niger. It lies in the northern Kaouar escarpment, a north–south line of cliffs which form an isolated oasis in the Sahara desert. As of 2011, the commune had a total po ...
has a company at
Madama
Madama is a border settlement on the northeast frontier of Niger. Little more than an army post, the settlement serves as a frontier station controlling travel between Niger and Libya. It is also the site of a former French colonial empire, Fr ...
. Each of these battalions comprises a logistics and engineering or ''génie'' company, a fire fighter company, an infantry company, be it airborne or land, an armoured squadron and an artillery company. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Staff of the Army in Niamey through appointed commandeers of each of the seven "Defense Zones", which largely overlap each of the civilian
Regions of Niger
Niger is divided into eight regions (French: ''régions;'' singular''région)'', each of which is named after its capital.
Current regions
*Additionally, the national capital, Niamey, comprises a special capital district.
Current administrati ...
.
History
The Niger Army was created on 28 July 1960 by decree. At the time, the National Police was a subsection of the military. Initially, units of the army were created from three companies of the
French Colonial Forces
The ''Troupes coloniales'' ("Colonial Troops") or ''Armée coloniale'' ("Colonial Army"), commonly called ''La Coloniale'', were the military forces of the French colonial empire from 1900 until 1961. From 1822 to 1900 these troops were de ...
made of Nigerien soldiers officered by Frenchmen who agreed to take joint French-Nigerien citizenship. In 1960, there were only ten African officers in the Nigerien army, all of low ranks. As Nigerien officers gradually assumed command roles, President
Diori signed legislation to end the employment of expatriate military officers in 1965. However, French military personnel remained in Niger both to serve in the Niger Army and in the 4th ''Régiment Interarmes d'Outre-Mer'' (
Troupes de Marine
The (TDM, ) is a corps of the French Army that includes several specialities: infantry, artillery, armoured, airborne, engineering, and transmissions (Signals).
Despite its name, it forms part of the Army, not the Navy. Intended for amphibi ...
) with bases at
Niamey
Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital dis ...
,
Zinder
Zinder (locally, ''Damagaram''), formerly also spelled Sinder, is the third largest city in Niger, with a population of 170,574 (2001 census); ,
Bilaro and
Agadez
Agadez ( Air Tamajeq: ⴰⴶⴰⴷⴰⵣ, ''Agadaz''), formerly spelled Agadès, is the fifth largest city in Niger, with a population of 110,497 based on the 2012 census. The capital of Agadez Region, it lies in the Sahara desert, and is also ...
. In the late 1970s, a smaller French force returned again to Niger. After the 1974 military coup, all French military personnel were evacuated although a smaller French force returned in the late 1970s.
In 1970, the army was reorganised and divided into four Infantry battalions, one paratroop company, one light armored company, a camel corps, and a number of support units. It was reorganized in 2003 to create the
Niger Air Force as a distinct service branch.
Training
Basic training is carried out at Niamey at the
Tondibiah base and at Agadez. Other special training centers include the National Officers Training School (French: ''Ecole de Formation des Forces Armées Nigériennes'' or EFOFAN) and The Paramedical Personnel Training School (EPPAN) both based at the
Tondibiah base. In addition to training in Niger, army officers also train in France at the
Special Military School of Saint-Cyr, in Morocco at
The Royal Military Academy of Meknès, in Algeria and the US. With the growing cross-border threats of terrorism in West Africa, the Niger Army has benefited from training exercises with France and the U.S. The Niger Army has participated in the U.S. led Flinlock Exercise which it hosted in 2014.
[U.S. Africa Command Flintlock Exercise](_blank)
Yearly Flinklock Exercise in Niger in 2014 (last retrieved on July 7/26/2014)
Equipment
The army of Niger is poorly equipped with armored vehicles and tanks. With the exception of two armored vehicles purchased from China in 2009, most armoured vehicles are at least 20 years old.
[Army trade registry](_blank)
Last accessed in July 2014 The army is however well-stocked with 4x4
Toyota Land Cruiser
The (also sometimes spelled as LandCruiser) is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. It is Toyota's longest running series of models. , the sales of the Land Cruiser totalled more than ...
s mounted with various caliber machine guns. Logistically, fuel and water transportation tanks, and ambulances have been recently improved to help in long-distance patrol missions as well as with general increased logistic capacity of the army.
[Cooperation militaire Niger-US](_blank)
Last accessed on July 15, 2014.
![Flag of niger armed forces obv](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Flag_of_niger_armed_forces_obv.jpg)
Armor
Niger Air Force
History
The predecessor of the Niger Air Force, the Niger National Escadrille (Escadrille Nationale du Niger) was first formed in 1961.
It was later restructured into the National Air Wing (Groupement Aérien National)
in 1989. Prior to 2003, the armed forces of Niger (french: forces armées nigériennes or FAN) were grouped in one branch with one Chief of Staff overseeing both the ground forces and the National Air Wing. Following an organizational restructuring in 2003, the armed forces of Niger were structured into two main service branches: Niger Army (French: armée de terre) for all ground forces and Niger Air Force (Armée de l'air). Each branch was headed by a Chief of Staff answerable to the Joint Chief of Staff of military armed forces. As part of this new structure, the National Air Wing was renamed as Niger Air Force (Force Aérienne du Niger) on December 17, 2003.
The Niger Air Force is led by the Air Force Chief of staff, answerable to the Joint Chief and the Defense Minister.
Structure
Organizationally, the air force is composed a Chief of Staff Office, operation units (French: ''escadrons''), technical units, an infantry company (''compagnie de fusiliers'') and generalized staff. The Chief of Staff of the Niger Air Force is the colonel
Abdoul Kader Amirou (''chef d'etat major'').
Training
At the moment, there is no air force special training facilities in Niger. Basic training of Air Force recruits is conducted at the
Tondibiah base along with recruits of other military service branches. Air force officers, pilots and mechanics are additionally trained in France, the United States and other North African countries like Morocco at the
Royal Air Force School of Marrakech and Algeria.
In addition, local training activities are undertaken with foreign partners (United States, France etc.) to update skills. In 2014, a logistic company was trained and equipped by the United States with fuel and water trucks, ambulances and 4x4 unarmed vehicles.
The
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
has a presence both at Nigerien Air Base 101 near Niamey and
Nigerien Air Base 201
Niger Air Base 201 (also known in some sources as "Nigerien Air Base 201") is a United States drone airbase near Agadez, Niger.
The base is about 5 km southeast of Agadez. It is owned by the Nigerien military but built and paid for by the Un ...
at
Agadez
Agadez ( Air Tamajeq: ⴰⴶⴰⴷⴰⵣ, ''Agadaz''), formerly spelled Agadès, is the fifth largest city in Niger, with a population of 110,497 based on the 2012 census. The capital of Agadez Region, it lies in the Sahara desert, and is also ...
.
Aircraft inventory
The aircraft inventory of the Niger Air Force is modest though it has increased with new acquisitions beginning in 2008, and further assistance from France and the United States.
This expansion in capacity is guided by the need for better border patrol following the crisis in
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
and
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mal ...
.
Paramilitary forces
There are two paramilitary services branches: (
National Gendarmerie of Niger under the
Ministry of Defense
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...
and the
National Guard of Niger) under the
Ministry of Interior
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
. Each of these branches are headed by Chief of Staff answerable to the overseeing ministry.
National Gendarmerie
The National Gendarmerie is commanded by the Superior Commander of the National Gendarmerie. Unlike the National Police and the National Guard, the National Gendarmerie is under the control of the Ministry of Defense of Niger. It is divided between territorial brigades and mobile brigades. In addition to territorial defense and maintaining public order, it provides military and paramilitary justice to other corps of the armed forces and participates to the judicial and the surveillance police activities. It is regarded as an elite force due to its stringent recruitment criteria of all armed forces. Due to increasing cross-border traffic of weapons and drugs, its activities have increased border areas. The national gendarmerie, unlike the Army or the National Guard, has never been directly involved in an attempt to seize or control power by force.
National Guard
Formerly known as the National Forces of Intervention and Security, the National Guard of Niger is responsible for security in rural areas where the national police is absent. It is overseen by the superior commander of the National Guard who reports to the Ministry of Interior. This body is responsible for: border and territorial surveillance of the country, public safety, maintaining and restoring of order, protecting public buildings and institutions, people and their property, the execution of the administrative police in rural and pastoral areas, management and monitoring of prisons, humanitarian actions in the case of national disaster or crisis and protection of the environment. It is also responsible for providing security to administrative authorities and the diplomatic and consular representations of Niger abroad.
[ Etats de lieux de la formation des forces de defense et de securité sur le droit de l’enfant au Niger]
National Police
The General Directorate of
National Police National Police may refer to the national police forces of several countries:
*Afghanistan: Afghan National Police
*Haiti: Haitian National Police
*Colombia: National Police of Colombia
*Cuba: Cuban National Police
*East Timor: National Police of ...
, headquartered in Niamey was until the 1999 Constitution under the command of the Armed Forces and Ministry of Defense. Today, only the ''National Gendarmerie'' reports to the Ministry of Defense, with the National Police and its Para-Military Arm—FNIS—moved to the
Nigerien Interior Ministry. The
National Gendarmerie
The National Gendarmerie (french: Gendarmerie nationale, ) is one of two national law enforcement forces of France, along with the National Police. The Gendarmerie is a branch of the French Armed Forces placed under the jurisdiction of the Mini ...
(modeled on the French
Gendarmerie) and the
National Forces for Intervention and Security (FNIS)
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, c ...
(''Forces nigerienne d'internale securite''- FNIS) count a combined 3,700 member
paramilitary police force. The FNIS, along with some special units of the Gendarmerie, are armed and trained in military fashion, similar to the
Internal Troops
The Internal Troops, full name Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs (MVD) (russian: Внутренние войска Министерства внутренних дел, Vnutrenniye Voiska Ministerstva Vnutrennikh Del; abbreviat ...
of the nations of the former Soviet Union. The Gendarmerie has law enforcement jurisdiction outside the
Urban Communes of Niger, while the National police patrols towns. Special internal security operations may be carried out by the Military, the FNIS, the Gendarmerie, or whatever forces tasked by the Government of Niger.
Domestic conflicts
The First Tuareg Rebellion of 1985–1995
From 1985 to 1995, the armed forces of Niger were engaged in armed fights with the
Popular Front for the Liberation of Niger (FPLN). An armed attack by FPLN members in
Tchin-Tabaradene in 1985 sparked the closing of the borders with Libya and Algeria, and the resettlement of thousands of Tuareg and other nomads away from the area. Failed promises by the government of
Ali Saïbou fueled growing Tuareg discontent leading to an attack on a police station in
Tchin-Tabaradene in May 1990. The Niger Army violently responded in May 1990, arresting, torturing, and killing several hundred Tuareg civilians in
Tchin-Tabaradene, Gharo and
In-Gall
In-Gall (var. In Gall, I-n-Gall, In-Gal, Ingal, Ingall) is a town in the Agadez Region, Tchirozerine Department of northeast Niger, with a year-round population of less than 500. Known for its oasis and salt flats, In-Gall is the gathering poi ...
in what is known as the
Tchin-Tabaradene massacre
Tchintabaraden (var. Tchin-Tabaraden, Tchin Tabaraden) is a town and Communes of Niger, commune located in the Azawagh area of Niger, in the north of the Tahoua Region.It is the capital of the region's Tchintabaraden Department. It is the market ...
. Tuareg outrage sparked the creation of two armed insurgent groups: the
Front for the Liberation of Aïr and Azaouak
Front may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* The Front (1943 film), ''The Front'' (1943 film), a 1943 Soviet drama film
* ''The Front'', 1976 film
Music
*The Front (band), an American rock band signed to Columbia Records and acti ...
and the
Front for the Liberation of Tamoust
Front may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''The Front'' (1943 film), a 1943 Soviet drama film
* ''The Front'', 1976 film
Music
* The Front (band), an American rock band signed to Columbia Records and active in the 1980s and e ...
and continued armed fights until 1995 when a peace agreement end fighting.
The Nigerien Armed Forces has been extensively involved in politics since independence, and has been denounced at several points for broad abrogation of human rights and unlawful detentions and killings.
The Second Tuareg Rebellion of 2007–2009
The Nigerien Armed Forces were involved from 2007 to 2009 in an insurgency in the north of the country, labeled the
Second Tuareg Rebellion
The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds each ...
. A previously unknown group, the
Mouvement des Nigeriens pour la Justice (MNJ), emerged in February 2007. The predominantly Tuareg group has issued a number of demands, mainly related to development in the north. It has attacked military and other facilities and laid landmines in the north. The resulting insecurity has devastated Niger's tourist industry and deterred investment in mining and oil. The government has labeled the MNJ criminals and traffickers, and refuses to negotiate with the group until it disarms. As of July 2008, some 100 to 160 Nigerien troops have been killed in the ongoing conflict. The second tuareg rebellion ended in 2009 with Peace Talks hosted by Libya.
Foreign missions
In 1991, Niger sent a 400-man military contingent to join the American-led allied forces against
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
during the
Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...
. Niger provides a battalion of peace-keeping forces to the UN Mission in
Ivory Coast. As of 2003, the FAN had troops deployed in the following foreign missions:
*
ECOMOG
The Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) was a West African multilateral armed force established by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). ECOMOG was a formal arrangement for separate armies to work ...
:
Liberia,
Guinée-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau ( ; pt, Guiné-Bissau; ff, italic=no, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫 𞤄𞤭𞤧𞤢𞥄𞤱𞤮, Gine-Bisaawo, script=Adlm; Mandinka: ''Gine-Bisawo''), officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau ( pt, República da Guiné-Bissau, links=no ), ...
;
*
African Union:
Burundi (MIOB),
Comoros (MIOC),
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mal ...
(AFISMA);
*
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
:
Rwanda (MINURCA),
Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
(MONUC);
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mal ...
(MINUSMA)
Defense cooperation
Niger defense forces have a long history of military cooperation with neighboring countries in the region, France, the United States, China as well as many other countries.
Regional defense cooperation
Through
ECOWAS
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as in French and Portuguese) is a regional political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa. Collectively, these countries comprise an area of , and in ...
and the
African Union, Niger defense forces have been involved in multiple missions in the Africa and the West Africa. Niger has been a supporter and volunteered to participate in the African Union future rapid intervention forces. In addition, with the growing threat of Boko Haram, defense forces of Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad have intensified cooperation to address the trans-border threat of this organization.
Counter-terrorism defense cooperation
U.S. and France defense cooperation with Niger has intensified post 9/11 as part of the Global War on Terror.
[Niger - États-Unis : une coopération militaire soutenue](_blank)
(retrieved on July 26, 2014). The Niger defense forces along with forces from
Chad,
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mal ...
,
Mauritania have become major partners of France and the United States in counter-terrorism efforts in Africa. The counter-terrorism efforts focused mainly on
Al-Qaïda affiliated groups in Africa, in particular the Algerian Group for Call and Combat which will later become AQMI. The collapse of the
Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, . Due to the lack of standardization of transcribing written and regionally pronounced Arabic, Gaddafi's name has been romanized in various ways. A 1986 column by ''The Straight Dope'' lists 32 spellin ...
regime, followed with the disbandment of his arsenal in the region, accentuated the precarious situation of many sahelian nations. The
Northern Mali conflict and beginning of
Operation Serval to free northern Mali of Islamic militant groups solidified the role of Niger in counter-terrorism activities in the region. Following an agreement with the Niger government, the air force base 101 of Niamey became a permanent drone hub for French and U.S. forces since 2013.
Drone intelligence gathering activities in Mali and the region were carried out from this base during
Serval
The serval (''Leptailurus serval'') is a wild cat native to Africa. It is widespread in sub-Saharan countries, except rainforest regions. Across its range, it occurs in protected areas, and hunting it is either prohibited or regulated in ran ...
. Niamey has become the Intelligence gathering pole of French and U.S. forces in the region.
Political involvement
In 1974 General
Seyni Kountché
Seyni Kountché (1 July 1931 – 10 November 1987) was a Nigerien military officer who led a 1974 coup d'état that deposed the government of Niger's first president, Hamani Diori. He ruled the country as military head of state from 17 April ...
overthrew the first president of Niger
Hamani Diori
Hamani Diori (6 June 1916 – 23 April 1989) was the first President of the Republic of Niger. He was appointed to that office in 1960, when Niger gained independence. Although corruption was a common feature of his administration, he gained in ...
. The military regime that followed, while plagued by coup attempts of its own, survived until 1991. While a period of relative prosperity, the military government of the period allowed little free expression and engaged in arbitrary imprisonment and killing.
In 1996, a former officer under Kountché and the then chief of staff,
Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara
General Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara (May 9, 1949 – April 9, 1999) was a military officer and diplomat in Niger who ruled the country from his seizure of power in 1996 until his assassination during the military coup of April 1999.
Baré Maïn ...
, staged his own coup, placing the military again in power. During the Maïnassara regime, human rights abuses were reported by foreign NGOs, including the discovery of 150 dead bodies in a mass grave at Boultoungoure, thought to be
Toubou
The Toubou or Tubu (from Old Tebu, meaning "rock people") are an ethnic group native to the Tibesti Mountains that inhabit the central Sahara in northern Chad, southern Libya and northeastern Niger. They live either as herders and nomads or as ...
rebels. In April 1999, the third coup led by
Douada Mallam Wanké was staged leading to murder of President
Baré by his own guards. To date, the authors this crime have been prosecuted. Major
Daouda Mallam Wanke, commander of the Niamey-based military region and the head of the Republican Guard assumed power, but returned the nation to civilian rule within the year. The military regime of
Douada Mallam Wanké ended with the election of
Mamadou Tandja
Mamadou Tandja (1938 – 24 November 2020) was a Nigerien politician who was President of Niger from 1999 to 2010. He was President of the National Movement for the Development Society (MNSD) from 1991 to 1999 and unsuccessfully ran as the MNS ...
in 1999 who deposed ten years later by another military coup, the fourth in the history of the country.
Cultural sponsorships
The Army, National Guard and the National Police sponsor semi-professional
football clubs,
ASFAN,
AS-FNIS and
AS Police, which play in the
Niger Premier League.
Professionalisation
The Armed Forces—which includes the National Gendarmerie—have undergone a series of structural changes aimed at professionalisation of the ranks and the retaining of more skilled recruits. Greater emphasis on recruiting officers and NCOs, lessening recruitment of lower ranks, and more training required between promotions have been instituted. Annual recruitment for the Army and the Gendarmerie now stands at one thousand each.
Nigerien army, security officers get new status
APA. 2009-02-05
Budget and foreign aid
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languages[People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...](_blank)
also provide military assistance. Approximately 18 French military advisers are in Niger. Many Nigerien military personnel receive training in France, and the Nigerien Armed Forces are equipped mainly with material either given by or purchased in France. United States assistance has focused on training pilots and aviation support personnel, professional military education for staff officers, and initial specialty training for junior officers. A small foreign military assistance program was initiated in 1983 and a U.S. Defense Attaché office opened in June 1985. After being converted to a Security Assistance Office in 1987, it was subsequently closed in 1996, following a coup d'état. A U.S. Defense Attaché office reopened in July 2000.
The United States provided transportation and logistical assistance to Nigerien troops deployed to Ivory Coast in 2003.
Additionally, the US provided initial equipment training on vehicles and communications gear to a company of Nigerien soldiers as part of the Department of State Pan Sahel Initiative The Pan-Sahel Initiative, according to a November 7, 2002, by the Office of Counterterrorism, U.S. Department of State, was "a State-led effort to assist Mali, Niger, Chad, and Mauritania in detecting and responding to suspicious movement of pe ...
. Military to military cooperation continues via the Trans-Saharan Counter Terrorism Partnership and other initiatives. EUCOM
The United States European Command (EUCOM) is one of the eleven Unified Combatant Command, unified combatant commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers and 51 countries and territorie ...
contributes funds for humanitarian assistance construction throughout the country. In 2007, a congressional waiver was granted which allows the Niger military to participate in the International Military Education and Training International Military Education and Training (IMET) is the title of a United States security assistance program, a type of student exchange program.
History
Congress established the IMET program in the International Security Assistance and Arms ...
(IMET) program, managed by the Security Cooperation Office. This program funded $170,000 in training in 2007.
Flag Note
Citations
References
* Bram Posthumus. ''Niger: A Long History, a Brief Conflict, an Open Future, in Searching for Peace in Africa'', European Centre for Conflict Prevention (1999).
* Samuel Decalo. ''Historical Dictionary of Niger''. Scarecrow Press, London and New Jersey (1979).
* Samuel Decalo. ''Coups and Army Rule in Africa'', Yale University Press (1990).
* Jolijn Geels. ''Niger''. Bradt London and Globe Pequot, New York (2006).
Full text of the 15 April 1995 Niger peace accords (French). ''Accord établissant une paix définitive entre le Gouvernement de la République du Niger et l'Organisation de la Résistance Armée (O.R.A.)''
14 June 2007.
, Ministère des Affaires étrangères (France), 2007. ''Gives 2007 force commanders''.
L’Ambassade de France au Niger:Les relations France-Niger:Coopération franco-nigérienne:La Mission de Coopération Militaire et de Défense
(France), 2007.
Niger: The right to justice
Amnesty International. Published: 6 April 2000. ''Report on Army involvement in the 1999 coup, the killing of General Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara, and other human rights abuses carried out by the FAN in the period 1990–2000.
Sentinel Security Assessment - West Africa. Jane's Information Group. Oct 17, 2008.
*World aircraft information files Bright Star Publishing London File 337 Sheet 4
{{Authority control
Government of Niger