Scale of jihadist threat in post-coup Niger hard to assess

Niger has been hit by several jihadist attacks since its president was overthrown last month, but analysts caution against concluding that a long-running insurgency is shifting into higher gear as post-coup uncertainty mounts.

Since 2015, when jihadists started mounting cross-border strikes from Mali, thousands of people have died and hundreds of thousands have fled their homes.

Rebel officers who overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 pointed to the “degradation of the security situation” under his watch — a belief shared by many Nigeriens.

But analysts say the situation is more complex than it may seem.

Read more: France 24