France, Aug. 31 -- Soldiers from the Russian Defence Ministry's Africa Corps were called in after mutinous soldiers seized the airport's Base 101 and attacked the presidential palace and national television on Saturday.

The rebels were eventually driven from the base, with Russian forces reportedly using kamikaze drones to force some of them to surrender.

The Nigerien Ministry of Defence attributed the violence to a "spontaneous outburst" involving soldiers who had breached military regulations.

Niger has been led by General Abdourahamane Tiani since a coup in July 2023. He has moved the country closer to Russia and away from Western partners, notably former colonial power France.

But Yvan Guichaoua, a senior researcher at the Bonn In...