from AISHA NDIAYE OKONKWO in Niamey, Niger
Niger Bureau
NIAMEY, (CAJ News) – MORE than 120 villagers and Muslim worshipers have been killed in recent months as the Islamic State in the Sahel Province (IS Sahel) escalated attacks in Niger since March.
This is according to Human Rights Watch (HRW), which reports the attacks violated international humanitarian law and are apparent war crimes.
HRW documented at least five attacks across Niger’s western Tillabéri region.
HRW witnesses said the Nigerien army did not adequately respond to warnings of attacks, ignoring villagers’ requests for protection.
Protection strategies for residents in the region should be urgently overhauled to deter future attacks and create more responsive warning systems, the organisation recommended.
“Islamist armed groups are targeting the civilian population in western Niger and committing horrific abuses,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at HRW.
“Nigerien authorities need to do more to protect people living in the Tillabéri region.”
The Tillabéri region borders the countries of Burkina Faso and Mali, where government forces have been fighting Islamist armed groups for over a decade.
The area has been a focal point of IS Sahel activity in Niger for a decade, as well for government counterinsurgency operations.
Since 2019, Islamist armed groups allied with the Islamic State or Al-Qaeda have escalated attacks against military targets and civilians in the area.
The armed groups have destroyed schools and religious sites and imposed severe restrictions based on their interpretation of Islam.
er the other, three kilometers from Abarkaize. They had their throats slit. We buried them in a mass grave and left.
– CAJ News