Niger: Jihadist group claims responsibility for attack
A jihadist group has claimed responsibility for an attack in Niger’s western Tillabéri region, which could suggest an escalation in extremist violence in the country, as reported by RFI and agencies on February 6th.
Militants from the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) attacked a position of the Nigerien defence and security forces in Makalondi, located around 90km from Niamey, on February 4th.
Security forces confirmed that a police officer was killed by militants; however, an official death toll has not been released. According to witnesses, the assault took place as people were preparing for prayers, when gunmen seized control of the area after soldiers withdrew.
The Tillabéri region borders Burkina Faso and Mali, which have also experienced attacks from JNIM, as the group has increasingly become entrenched in the region.
News of this attack comes days after the so-called Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on the Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey on January 29th, which resulted in some aircraft being hit by gunfire and others being set ablaze.
Reportedly, the airport is a strategic hub that hosts military bases, the headquarters of the Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali Joint Force, and a uranium stockpile at the centre of a dispute with a French company, Orano, which Niger’s junta has sought to nationalise.
In the hours following the airport attack, Niger’s junta leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, accused France, Benin and the Ivory Coast of supporting the attack, but provided no evidence to support these allegations.
Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin and the Ivory Coast are former French colonies that, until recently, had a French military presence. The latter two countries have frequently been accused of acting as French proxies over their continued ties to Paris.
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are all junta-led countries that have rejected Western support in favour of seeking security and strategic ties with Russia. In exchange for access to the states’ natural resources, such as gold, Russia provides military support to the landlocked Sahel countries.
The Sahel region more broadly has become a global epicentre for jihadist terrorism in recent years, as groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have sought to take control of the region and impose an Islamic Caliphate, which would be governed by a strict interpretation of Islam, including Sharia Law.
RFI and agencies, Maghrebi.org
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