Terrorist attacks continue to hit Niger, with a new incident taking place on September 28, 2021. According to the Minister of Defense, several hundred terrorists violently attacked an army unit in the Tillabéri region, in west of the country.
Unfortunately, this attack caused the death of seven soldiers, who fell in combat. In addition, five other soldiers lost their lives in a tragic traffic accident during the response to this attack. Seven people were also injured and evacuated to a hospital.
This region of Tillabéri is known to be a den of Sahelian jihadist groups, in particular those of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS). Located in the “three borders” zone between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, it is regularly targeted by these armed groups.
This new attack highlights the precarious security situation in which Niger finds itself. Indeed, the country was the scene of a coup d’état on July 26, and the generals in power justified this action by citing the deterioration of the security situation. With this in mind, Niger is seeking to strengthen its defense cooperation with its neighbors, Mali and Burkina Faso, also led by soldiers who came to power through a coup d’état. The three countries thus created the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in order to better coordinate their actions in the fight against terrorist groups.
This attack in Niger is a sad reality which reminds us that the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region is far from over. The Nigerien authorities must redouble their efforts to strengthen the security of their territory and guarantee the protection of their citizens. Regional and international cooperation is also essential to counter this cross-border threat.