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- In Niger, a country ravaged by terror in West Africa, on the border with Mali, gunmen attacked two villages.
- The number of deaths has risen from at least 56 to more than 70, and at least 20 people have been injured.
- The attack is said to have been in retaliation for the earlier killing of two fighters by villagers, Interior Minister Alkache Alhada said.
- Another attack occurred in neighboring Mali on the same day.
Therefore, the attack took place near the border with Mali in the villages of Tchombangou and Zaroumdareye.
Young people from the two villages had tried to form a self-defense group in the disputed area. The gunmen whom Interior Minister Alhada calls jihadists are believed to have come from neighboring Mali on motorcycles. Nigerian authorities are following them, Alhada said.
Another attack in Mali
Two French soldiers were also killed in another attack in Mali on Saturday. A third was injured when an explosive device exploded under his vehicle, announced the Elysee Palace in Paris. Therefore, the incident occurred during a reconnaissance trip in the eastern Menaka region. On Monday, three French soldiers were killed in Mali when an improvised explosive device exploded under their armored vehicle.
Major transit country
Niger is one of the most important transit countries for African immigrants who want to reach the Mediterranean. Along with Mali, Mauritania, Chad and Burkina Faso, Niger is part of the G5 Sahel group that aims to fight terrorist groups. The government also has little control in the desert expanses outside the cities, which are used not only by jihadist groups, but also by criminal networks.
A second round is required for the presidential elections
In Niger, the preliminary results of the presidential and parliamentary elections were announced on the same day. The head of state Mahamadou Issoufou, as provided for by the constitution, will resign after his two terms. An ally of the outgoing president, former Foreign Minister Mohamed Bazoum, ran for the ruling PNDS party and won 39.6 percent of the vote. However, like the strongest opposition candidate Mahamane Ousmane (16.9 percent), he did not achieve the necessary majority, thus requiring a second round on February 22.
