The esteemed General Mohamed Toumba, Niger’s Minister of Interior and a pivotal figure within the Conseil National pour la Sauvegarde de la Patrie (CNSP) since the July 26, 2023, coup d’état, finds himself embroiled in a sensitive affair. A scandal concerning the illegal trade of travel documents facilitating movement between West Africa and Europe has surfaced, with his spouse directly implicated.
A clandestine network targeting the Schengen zone
This previously undisclosed matter, kept under wraps within Niamey’s diplomatic and security circles, centers on the Spanish Embassy in Niger. The wife of General Toumba, formerly associated with this diplomatic mission, is now suspected of leveraging her past position to orchestrate an extensive illicit Schengen visa operation.
The operational blueprint of this now-dismantled network involved highly profitable illicit services:
- Fees: Ranging from 2 to 5 million CFA francs (approximately 3,048 to 7,622 euros) per visa.
- Procedure: Applicants were spared the necessity of appearing at consular offices, with all formalities handled remotely.
- Primary Beneficiaries: The scheme predominantly attracted Malian citizens. These individuals were illegally exempted from the mandatory residency card verification in Niger, a document typically required to bypass the Spanish Embassy in Bamako. Upon their arrival in Madrid, local facilitators immediately received them.
Initial investigative findings suggest that nearly 1,500 Malian individuals may have reached Europe through this specific channel.
Financial ramifications and detentions
Inquiries conducted by the Direction Générale de la Documentation et de la Sécurité Extérieure (DGDSE), under the leadership of Lieutenant-Colonel Souleymane Balla-Arabé, have uncovered suspicious financial flows intended for regional money laundering, particularly directed towards Senegal.
Agents from the external intelligence service conducted several key detentions:
- 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.
- Another alleged accomplice, recruited by the minister’s wife shortly before her departure from the Spanish Embassy a year prior, is also under judicial scrutiny.
Political tensions at the highest echelons of state
The initiation of this procedure, spearheaded by intelligence services (DGDSE) rather than conventional judicial police, exacerbates existing internal rivalries within the ruling military junta. This scandal intensifies the atmosphere of distrust within the transitional government, highlighting significant challenges in African politics.
General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the transitional president, increasingly relies on members of his own community (Haoussa), marginalizing other high-ranking officials from the Zarma community. Consequently, this incident directly undermines prominent Zarma leaders within the regime, notably General Mohamed Toumba, the junta’s third-highest figure, and General Salifou Modi, the Minister of Defense, who is widely respected within military ranks.
