In Niger, 39 villagers killed in a double jihadist attack in the west of the country, according to the military

Niger once again in mourning. According to military authorities, thirty-nine villagers were killed this week in a double attack by suspected jihadists in the west of the country, a region particularly hit in recent days by violence by armed groups.

“Two atrocious tragedies occurred in the localities of Libiri and Kokorou: criminals cornered by the incessant operations of the defense and security forces cowardly attacked defenseless civilian populations”states the military operations bulletin published Saturday, December 14 in the evening on the website of the Ministry of Defense. “The human toll is heavy and shows 39 people murdered, including 18 in Kokorou and 21 in Libiri”specifies the army, deploring “many women and children” among the victims of “these barbaric acts”.

The date of the attack is not specified but the operations bulletin concerns the period from December 12 to 14.

The authorities have “expressed their deep indignation and solidarity” to bereaved families, underlines the army. They also have “reaffirmed their commitment to putting in place all the necessary measures to track down and neutralize the perpetrators of these crimes” and announced arrangements “taken to strengthen security in these localities”.

Particularly bloody attacks

The Téra region has suffered particularly bloody jihadist attacks in recent days. Last week, at least 21 civilians were killed in an attack on a goods transport convoy.

Several publications on social networks and certain media such as the BBC or RFI also announced that a jihadist attack against the locality of Chatoumane, still in the Téra region, had left at least 90 dead within the army, which Agence France-Presse (AFP) was unable to verify this from an independent source. However, a Western security source confirmed to AFP a report of “90 to 100 dead”.

The Nigerien junta denied the existence of this attack on Wednesday evening, citing “unfounded claims” and one “intoxication campaign”. She suspended the BBC for three months and filed a complaint against RFI, which had already been deprived of broadcasting for months in Niger.

Departure from ECOWAS

Niger has been governed since July 2023 by a military junta that came to power through a coup d’état. This Sahelian country has been grappling with jihadist violence from groups linked to Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State organization for almost ten years, like its neighbors in Burkina Faso and Mali, also led by military regimes.

The three countries all turned their backs on France and expelled their soldiers deployed in the anti-jihadist fight to together form a confederation, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). They announced in January that they were leaving the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which they consider to be used by Paris.

An ECOWAS summit is being held on Sunday in Abuja where the question of maintaining the three countries in the West African organization should be discussed. But the AES countries reiterated on Friday that their decision was “irreversible”. According to ECOWAS texts, their departure becomes effective one year after the announcement, therefore at the end of January 2025.

Such a departure could have significant economic and political implications for the West African region, in particular the question of the free movement of people and goods in the region. The AES confederation represents a vast landlocked territory, with a population of 72 million inhabitants.