On Monday, May 4, 2026, the village of Doungouro, situated in 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) that claimed the lives of four civilians, the subsequent intervention by the Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie (VDP) from the Kokorou commune escalated into a horrific slaughter. Under the guise of pursuing terrorists, these paramilitary auxiliaries indiscriminately targeted anyone wearing a turban. The grim outcome: a total of 32 fatalities, with 28 attributed to the very militiamen tasked with protecting the populace. This latest massacre raises an urgent question: how long will the Nigerien junta permit these ‘DomolLeydi’ groups to act with such blatant impunity?
the morning of terror: EIGS incursion at the market
The dawn had barely broken over Doungouro on that Monday, May 4, when the roar of motorcycles shattered the usual tranquility of the weekly market day. Heavily armed elements of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara descended upon the location. Their objectives were twofold: to instill fear and to resupply. Within minutes, four innocent civilians were brutally executed in front of terrified vendors. The assailants then plundered all the livestock present in the marketplace before retreating westward, heading towards the Malian border. This swift operation underscores, yet again, the persistent security vulnerabilities of the ‘three borders’ region, despite the triumphant pronouncements from authorities in Niamey.
VDP’s chaotic response: a doctrine of confusion
For the survivors, the true nightmare began only after the terrorists had departed. Alerted to the attack, the Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie from the neighboring commune of Kokorou converged on Doungouro. However, instead of the anticipated protection, a blind fury descended upon the village. Upon arrival, the militiamen, often known locally as DomolLeydi, initiated a purge based on a criterion as illogical as it was perilous: the wearing of a turban. To these armed individuals, whose oversight was often vague and training minimal, anyone sporting the traditional attire of traders and pastoralists in the area was deemed a potential accomplice, or even a hidden terrorist.
The casualty count is appalling. Among the 28 individuals who fell victim to the VDP’s bullets were several traders who had traveled from Téra. These were familiar faces to everyone, regulars at the Doungouro market, whose only transgression was being in the wrong place at the wrong time, dressed according to regional customs. One resident who managed to escape the carnage recounted that the militiamen fired at anything moving that wore a turban, without asking questions or seeking any form of proof. It was, in their words, a mass summary execution.
the DomolLeydi system: a ticking time bomb
This Doungouro tragedy starkly exposes the gaping flaws in the junta’s security strategy. By heavily relying on citizen militias to compensate for the regular army’s shortcomings, the Niamey government has fostered a force it seemingly can no longer control. While officially recognized, the VDP often operates within a complete legal and operational vacuum. Without a stringent chain of command and the consistent presence of career military personnel to supervise them in the field, these groups frequently succumb to community-based excesses. In Doungouro, the descent into ethnic and sartorial profiling is undeniable.
Since the coup d’état, the official discourse has urged populations to defend themselves. Yet, arming civilians without instilling in them respect for the laws of war and human rights is a recipe for disaster. The junta, quick to denounce foreign interference, remains conspicuously silent regarding the abuses committed by its own auxiliaries. The Doungouro massacre, however, is not an isolated incident. It forms part of a series of blunders that are steadily eroding trust between civilian populations and defense forces.
urgent need for radical reassessment
By targeting traders and vendors, the VDP are inadvertently intensifying the sense of insecurity and, ironically, pushing certain marginalized communities into the embrace of armed terrorist groups who then portray themselves as protectors. Niger cannot win this war by turning against its own people. The transitional government must urgently conduct an independent investigation into the Doungouro events and bring those responsible for these summary executions to justice.
It is now vital to reconsider the operational modalities of these volunteers, prohibiting any operations outside the direct presence of regular forces. An end must also be put to systematic profiling based on ethnicity or attire, which severely undermines national cohesion. If no action is taken, Doungouro will remain a stark symbol of a bloody deviation where the state, through its militias, ultimately inflicts more harm on 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.
