Human Rights Watch has warned of a sharp rise in Islamic State attacks in Niger’s Tillabéri region, documenting at least 127 civilian deaths in five assaults carried out between March and June 2025.
The rights group’s latest report highlights mass killings, including shootings at prayer in Fambita, the execution of a village chief in Abarkaïzé, and the massacre of more than 70 people in Manda. Witnesses also reported widespread looting, arson, and executions, with many victims accused of collaborating with the Nigerien army.
Despite repeated warnings from residents, HRW notes that security forces failed to prevent the violence or intervene effectively, leaving rural communities exposed. The organisation has urged Niger’s authorities to step up protection measures, investigate these atrocities—described as possible war crimes—and bring perpetrators to justice. The intensifying threat underscores the Islamic State’s entrenched presence in the Sahel, where civilians remain the primary targets of its campaign of terror.