Niger’s military junta deployed an additional 1,500 troops to its border with Burkina Faso on April 15, 2025, citing heightened terrorist threats from jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State, per Reuters.
The move follows a March 2025 attack in Tillaberi that killed 23 Nigerien soldiers, attributed to the Sahel-based Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM). General Abdourahamane Tchiani, Niger’s leader, announced the reinforcements to secure 300 kilometers of porous border, where 80% of cross-border attacks occur, per ECOWAS data.
Burkina Faso, facing 6,000 militant attacks since 2022, has displaced 2 million people, with 10% fleeing to Niger, per UNHCR. Niger’s 2024 expulsion of French troops and reliance on Russian advisors, coupled with a 30% defense budget hike to $400 million, reflect a shift in counterterrorism strategy.
Local leaders report 500 civilian deaths in 2025’s cross-border raids, per Amnesty International. The deployment, supported by 200 armored vehicles, aims to curb arms smuggling, which fuels 70% of Sahel violence, per UN data. Regional talks for a joint Sahel force remain stalled.