African securityIslamists Kill 71 Soldiers in Niger as Terrorist Attacks in the Sahel Region Increase

Published 12 December 2019

An attack Tuesday on a military base in west Niger left 71 dead and a score missing, according to a statement from the Niger Ministry of Defense. Jihadists have increased the frequency, scope, and boldness of their deadly attacks in the Sahel, particularly in Mali, Niger, and Burkina, despite the increased presence of French troops, now numbered around 4,500, who take part in the Barkhane operation, and the presence of more than 14,000 UN peacekeepers in the area.

An attack Tuesday on a military base in west Niger left 71 dead and a score missing, according to a statement from the Niger Ministry of Defense.

The BBC reports that President Emmanuel Macron of France and President Mahamadou Issoufou ofNiger announced that they were postponing to early 2020 the summit with the leaders of the five countries of the Sahel region, which was planned for 16 December in Pau.

The summit was supposed to finalize the details of Operation Barkhane, a broad counterterrorism campaign in the Sahel to be undertaken by G5 Sahel Force, a joint military force comprising of soldiers from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger, with French intelligence, logistical, and training support.

On Tuesday, the Niger council of ministers extended for three months the state of emergency which has been in effect since 2017 in several parts of the country to fight against jihadist attacks. The emergency measures give additional powers to the security forces in theaters of operations, including the ability to order curfews and conduct night and day searches. The emergency decrees also limit travel in and into the areas concerned.

The north of the Tahoua region and the neighboring region of Tillaberi have been the target of more and more frequent attacks by jihadists from nearby Mali. Since October, humanitarian organizations have been banned from visiting certain areas without military escort.

Jihadists have increased the frequency, scope, and boldness of their deadly attacks in the Sahel, particularly in Mali, Niger, and Burkina, despite the increased presence of French troops, now numbered around 4,500, who take part in the Barkhane operation, and the presence of more than 14,000 UN peacekeepers in the area.

The jihadists have been even more active across the border, in neighboring Mali. More than 100 Malian soldiers have been killed by Islamists since September.