Niger: the doungouro massacre and the unchecked power of VDP militias

On Monday, May 4, 2026, the village of Doungouro, nestled 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 nearby commune of Kokorou tragically escalated into a massacre. Under the guise of pursuing terrorists, these civilian auxiliaries to the military indiscriminately targeted anyone wearing a turban. The devastating toll stands at 32 fatalities, with 28 of these attributed to the very militias tasked with safeguarding the local populace. This latest atrocity prompts a critical question: how much longer will the Nigerien junta permit these “DomolLeydi” groups to operate with such impunity?

The deadly market raid and EIGS incursion

Dawn had barely broken over Doungouro on that fateful 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 swiftly descended upon the area. Their objectives were clear: to sow terror and to resupply. Within minutes, four innocent civilians were brutally murdered in front of petrified market vendors. The assailants then plundered all the livestock present in the market square before retreating westward, heading towards the Malian border. This swift operation starkly confirms, if further proof were needed, that the fragile three-borders zone remains a security sieve, despite the triumphant declarations emanating from authorities in Niamey.

VDP intervention: a doctrine of chaos

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 Kokorou commune converged on Doungouro. However, instead of the anticipated protection, a blind fury was unleashed upon the village. Upon arrival, the militiamen, frequently known locally 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, often operating with uncertain oversight and rudimentary training, anyone adorned in the traditional attire of local traders and herders was deemed a potential accomplice, or even a hidden terrorist.

The resulting casualty count is horrifying. Among the 28 individuals who fell victim to VDP gunfire were several merchants who had traveled from Téra. These were familiar faces, regulars at the Doungouro market, whose only transgression was being present at the wrong place, dressed according to regional customs. A resident who narrowly escaped the slaughter recounted that the militiamen fired upon anything that moved and wore a turban, without asking questions or seeking any form of evidence. It was, in their words, a mass summary execution.

The DomolLeydi system: a ticking time bomb

This Doungouro tragedy casts a harsh light on the gaping vulnerabilities within the junta’s security strategy. By heavily relying on citizen militias to compensate for the shortcomings of the regular army, the Niamey government has inadvertently created a formidable entity it appears increasingly unable to 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 abuses. In Doungouro, the descent into ethnic and sartorial profiling is disturbingly 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 condemn foreign interference, remains conspicuously silent regarding the atrocities committed by its own auxiliaries. The Doungouro massacre, far from being an isolated incident, fits into a pattern of blunders that erode trust between civilian populations and defense forces.

The urgent need for radical re-evaluation in Niger

By targeting traders and market vendors, the VDP inadvertently exacerbates feelings of insecurity and, ironically, pushes certain marginalized communities into the embrace of armed terrorist groups who then position 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 events in Doungouro and bring those responsible for these summary executions to justice.

It is now vital to fundamentally rethink the operational modalities of these volunteers, prohibiting any operations outside the direct presence of regular forces. Furthermore, an end must be put to systematic profiling based on ethnicity or attire, which severely undermines national cohesion. If no action is taken, Doungouro will forever symbolize a bloody descent 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 the sacrificed witnesses to a security strategy gone dangerously awry.