On Monday, May 4, 2026, the village of Doungouro, nestled within Niger’s Tillabéri region, became the scene of a profound double tragedy. Following a deadly incursion by the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS) which claimed the lives of four civilians, the subsequent intervention by the Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie (VDP) from the nearby Kokorou commune devolved into a horrific massacre. Under the guise of pursuing terrorists, these auxiliary forces of the army indiscriminately targeted anyone wearing a turban. The grim toll stands at 32 fatalities, with 28 of these attributed directly to the militiamen who were ostensibly meant to safeguard the populace. This latest atrocity prompts a critical question: how much further will the Nigerien junta permit these “DomolLeydi” groups to operate with such blatant impunity?

market day horror: the EIGS incursion

The morning light had barely begun to grace Doungouro on that fateful Monday, a customary weekly market day, when the roar of motorcycles shattered the village’s usual tranquility. Heavily armed operatives of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara descended upon the locale. Their objectives were dual: to sow terror and to replenish their supplies. Within minutes, four innocent civilians were brutally executed in front of paralyzed vendors. The assailants then systematically plundered all the livestock present at the market square before retreating westward, heading towards the Malian border. This swift operation starkly reaffirms, if any doubt remained, that the tri-border region continues to be a security vulnerability, despite the triumphant declarations emanating from Niamey’s authorities.

vdp intervention: a doctrine of chaos

For the survivors, the true nightmare unfolded only after the terrorists had departed. Responding to alerts about the attack, the Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie from the neighboring Kokorou commune converged on Doungouro. However, instead of the anticipated protection, a wave of uncontrolled aggression swept through the village. Upon their arrival, the militiamen, often locally known as DomolLeydi, initiated a brutal purge based on a criterion as illogical as it was perilous: the wearing of a turban. For these armed individuals, operating with questionable oversight and minimal training, anyone sporting the traditional headwear common among traders and pastoralists in the area was automatically deemed a potential accomplice, or even a disguised terrorist.

The resulting casualty count is appalling. Among the 28 individuals who fell victim to VDP gunfire were several traders who had traveled from Téra. These were familiar faces, regular attendees of the Doungouro market, whose sole misfortune was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, dressed according to regional customs. One resident, who miraculously escaped the carnage, recounted that the militiamen fired upon anything that moved and wore a turban, without asking questions or seeking any form of verification. It was, in their words, a mass summary execution.

the domolLeydi system: a ticking time bomb

This Doungouro tragedy illuminates the gaping deficiencies within the junta’s security framework. By heavily relying on citizen militias to compensate for the regular army’s shortcomings, the Niamey government has inadvertently unleashed a force it appears increasingly unable to control. The VDP, despite their official recognition, frequently operate within a legal and operational vacuum. Lacking a stringent chain of command and the consistent presence of career military personnel to supervise them in the field, these groups routinely descend into community-based excesses. In Doungouro, the shift towards ethnic and sartorial profiling is starkly evident.

Since the coup d’état, official rhetoric has urged populations to defend themselves. Yet, arming civilians without instilling in them respect for the laws of war and human rights is a formula for catastrophe. The junta, quick to denounce foreign interference, remains conspicuously silent regarding the abuses perpetrated by its own auxiliaries. The Doungouro massacre, regrettably, is not an isolated incident. It is part of a disturbing pattern of missteps that are progressively eroding trust between civilian populations and the very forces meant to defend them.

urgent need for radical reassessment

By targeting innocent traders and vendors, the VDP are inadvertently intensifying the sense of insecurity, ironically driving certain marginalized communities into the embrace of armed terrorist groups who then position themselves as protectors. Niger cannot hope to win this conflict by turning against its own citizenry. The transitional government must launch an immediate and independent investigation into the Doungouro events and ensure that those responsible for these summary executions are brought to justice.

It has become imperative to fundamentally rethink the operational modalities of these volunteers, strictly prohibiting any operations conducted without the direct supervision of regular forces. Furthermore, the systematic profiling based on ethnicity or attire, which severely undermines national cohesion, must cease. If no decisive action is taken, Doungouro will forever stand as a chilling symbol of a bloody descent, where the state, through its militias, ultimately inflicts more harm upon civilians than the terrorists themselves. The families of the 32 victims demand answers. The lives lost on that dark Monday are not mere collateral damage; they are sacrificed witnesses to a security strategy gone dangerously awry.