Over the last year, violence within Niger, in particular attacks against civilians along its A Bulwark against Further Instability in West Africaextensive border with Mali and Burkina Faso, has been increasing. Despite the worrying trends, Niger has performed better than its neighbors in managing the interlocking conflicts, and the government and its people possess resiliencies which can, and should, be built upon. As the Nigerien government and its international partners—particularly France and the United States—search for ways to stem the violence, they would be well served to avoid mistakes that have been made by others around the globe—heavy militarization absent accountability and a focus on mitigating harm to civilians.