At least 42 personnel of the Niger Republic armed forces have reportedly died in a road accident involving two buses near Doukou Doukou, about 55 kilometres from Madaoua.
Gatekeepers News reports that the accident occurred on Friday, August 7, according to Zagazola Makama, a counter-terrorism publication that cited security sources.
The victims were reportedly assistant non-commissioned officers who had completed their military training on Thursday and were travelling when the two buses were involved in the crash.
Eighteen other military personnel were said to have sustained critical injuries and were reportedly in comas following the accident.
The circumstances surrounding the crash remained unclear at the time of the report.
Zagazola Makama also raised concerns over the transportation arrangements for the soldiers, reporting claims that the personnel were conveyed in buses operated by a private company despite allegations that the Nigerien army has its own vehicles for transporting troops.
However, the publication said it could not independently verify the claims concerning the use of private transport or the reported casualty figures.
The incident is expected to renew concerns about the safety and logistics arrangements for military personnel, particularly newly trained soldiers travelling between military facilities.
The tragedy comes as Niger continues to strengthen its military capacity amid persistent security challenges across the Sahel region following the country’s withdrawal from traditional regional and Western security partnerships.
Authorities in Niger are yet to publicly provide a detailed account of the accident or officially confirm the reported number of casualties.
