The prominent General Mohamed Toumba, Niger’s Minister of Interior and a pivotal member of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) since the July 26, 2023 coup, is facing indirect scrutiny over an illicit visa commercialization scandal. The controversy, involving the unauthorized sale of travel documents between West Africa and Europe, directly implicates his spouse.
A clandestine network targeting the Schengen area
A previously undisclosed matter within Niamey’s diplomatic and security circles has come to light, centering on the Spanish Embassy in Niger. The wife of General Toumba, who previously held a position at this diplomatic mission, is now under suspicion for allegedly leveraging her past role to facilitate an extensive illicit network for Schengen visa procurement.
The operational methodology of this now-dismantled syndicate involved highly lucrative clandestine services:
- Fees: Each visa commanded a price ranging from 2 to 5 million CFA francs, equivalent to approximately 3,048 to 7,622 euros.
- Process: Applicants were exempted from physical appearances at consular offices, with all procedures handled remotely.
- Target Demographics: The system predominantly targeted Malian nationals. These individuals were illicitly granted exemptions from the mandatory Nigerien residency card verification, a document typically required to circumvent the Spanish Embassy in Bamako. Upon their arrival in Madrid, local facilitators immediately received them.
Initial findings from the investigation suggest that close to 1,500 Malians may have journeyed to Europe through this particular channel.
Financial ramifications and key arrests
The Directorate General of Documentation and External Security (DGDSE), under the leadership of Lieutenant-Colonel Souleymane Balla-Arabé, conducted investigations that unearthed suspicious financial flows. These circuits were reportedly designed to launder illicit funds within the region, with notable transfers directed towards Senegal.
External intelligence operatives have made several significant arrests:
- Maty Cissokho Toumba, the spouse of the Interior Minister, underwent questioning by investigators.
- Samsoudine Idrissa, identified as the network’s logistical coordinator and an associate of General Toumba, was apprehended by the DGDSE as he departed the minister’s residence.
- An additional suspected accomplice, reportedly recruited by the minister’s wife shortly before her departure from the Spanish Embassy approximately a year ago, is also currently under judicial scrutiny.
Political tensions at the highest levels of state
The initiation of this inquiry, spearheaded by the intelligence services (DGDSE) rather than conventional judicial police forces, has exacerbated existing internal rivalries within the governing military junta.
This unfolding scandal has heightened an atmosphere of distrust within the transitional administration. General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the transitional president, is increasingly observed to be consolidating power among members of his own community (Haoussa), often at the expense of other high-ranking officials from the Zarma community. Consequently, this affair directly undermines key Zarma figures within the regime, notably General Mohamed Toumba, who holds the third position in the junta’s hierarchy, and General Salifou Modi, the Minister of Defense, despite his considerable respect within military ranks.