The death toll in an attack on villages in the West African country of Niger has risen to over 70. Interior Minister Alkache Alhada said this today. At least 20 people were also injured. Alhada called the attackers jihadists. There are a number of terrorist groups active in Niger and other countries in this region that have pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda or the Islamic State (IS) jihadist militia.
The day before, the attack had occurred near the border with Mali in the villages of Tchombangou and Zaroumdareye. The attack is intended to be in retaliation for the earlier murder of two fighters by villagers, the interior minister said. The young people in the two villages tried to form a self-defense group in the contested area. The armed men are believed to have come from neighboring Mali on motorcycles. The Nigerien authorities are following them, said the interior minister.
Niger is one of the most important transit countries for African migrants who want to reach the Mediterranean. Together with Mali, Mauritania, Chad and Burkina Faso, Niger is part of the G5 Sahel group that aims to fight terrorist groups. The government has little control in the desert-like expanses outside the cities, which is not only used by jihadist groups but also by criminal networks.
In recent years Europe had put pressure on the Nigerien government to curb people smuggling. Niger is also an important partner of the EU in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region.
