Tillaberi Region

Tillaberi Region is Niger's killing field—the 'three borders area' where Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger converge has become the deadliest zone in the entire Sahel conflict. In 2024, Tillaberi recorded 92% of Niger's fatalities linked to militant Islamist groups: 1,212 deaths from Islamic State Sahel (ISGS) and Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) operations. Major attacks included 22 civilians killed in Motogatta (January), 23 soldiers ambushed between Teguey and Bankilare (March), 20 soldiers killed near Tassia (June), and 39 villagers massacred near the Burkina border (December). In July, 200 prisoners including suspected jihadists escaped from Koutoukalé high-security prison. ISGS has imposed strict Sharia in parts of the region, enforcing severe gender restrictions and driving child marriage. The strategic location—abutting both central Mali and eastern Burkina Faso—makes this a crucial zone of control for militant groups. Violence has dramatically increased since the July 2023 coup, as both JNIM and ISGS carve out influence. The regional capital Tillabéri sits just 100 kilometers north of Niamey, meaning instability directly threatens the capital. By 2026, Tillaberi's trajectory depends on whether the junta's security forces can contain militant expansion, whether population displacement becomes permanent, and whether any governance or livelihoods can function in territory increasingly controlled by armed groups.