In a report released Wednesday, based on about 30 eyewitness accounts gathered between May and July 2025, HRW documents a sharp escalation of attacks by the Islamic State in the Sahel Province (IS Sahel). The group allegedly executed at least 127 civilians in five separate incidents across the Tillabéri region in western Niger, torching and looting homes in the process.
One of the deadliest assaults occurred in June in Manda village, where gunmen stormed a mosque during prayers, killing more than 70 worshippers and injuring at least 20 others.
Multiple witnesses told HRW that Niger’s security forces had been repeatedly warned about impending attacks but failed to intervene or provide adequate protection, raising concerns about state capacity and accountability.
Citing data from the conflict-tracking group ACLED, the report situates these killings within a broader pattern: since the July 2023 coup in Niger, IS Sahel has reportedly killed around 1,600 civilians.
HRW argues that these attacks constitute apparent war crimes under international humanitarian law. The organization said it submitted its findings to Niger’s Ministry of Justice in August but has yet to receive a response, underscoring what it sees as official indifference or inertia in addressing mass violence.
