Niger | July 12, 2024
You’re offline. This is a read only version of the page.
October has been a violent month in Niger. First, at the beginning of the month, at least 29 Niger soldiers were killed in an ambush by insurgents near the country's border with Mali, which was the deadliest attack since the army seized power in a coup in July (Reuters, 3 October 2023). Then, as reported by Africa News on 17 October 2023, a further 6 soldiers were killed and 18 injured in a series of clashes in the Lemdou area 50 km to the north-west of Téra. The Nigerien Defence Ministry claimed 31 “terrorists” were killed in the fighting. Finally, on 23 October 2023, Boko Haram fighters attacked a Customs Service outpost at Geidam in Yobe State, 30km from the border with Nigeria. One customs officer was killed (Sahara Reporters, 23 October 2023).
World Watch Research analysts Yonas Dembele comments: “The situation in Niger is exacerbated by political instability, including numerous coups, which have weakened the state's security apparatus and have added another layer of complexity to the already fragile situation. Attacks continue to take place with the apparent objective of weakening the security apparatus still further in order to pave the way for Islamic militants to overrun and take control of the country.”
Yonas Dembele continues: “For Christian communities in Niger, the combined impact of political instability and escalating jihadist violence poses a grave threat. The ideology driving groups like Boko Haram specifically encourages the targeting of Christians as infidels. This creates a climate of fear and disrupts communal life. Particularly in border areas, churches gathering for worship are aware of the serious risks involved.”
We use cookies and other technologies on our website. Some of them are essential, while others help us to improve this website and your experience. We use them, among other things, to offer you an option for secure donations and anonymously evaluate access to our website. It also allows us to share our own YouTube videos on the website. Depending on the function, the data is passed on to third parties and processed by them. More information on The use of your data can be found in our Privacy Policy. You can revoke or adjust your choice at any time under Cookie Settings.