Islamic State-affiliated fighters have intensified assaults on civilians in western Niger, killing at least 127 people in five separate incidents since March, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday.
The rights group accused authorities of failing to protect vulnerable communities in the conflict-hit Tillaberi region, near the borders with Mali and Burkina Faso.
In its report, HRW documented detailed witness accounts of the attacks, which it attributed to the Islamic State in the Sahel Province (ISSP). Villagers said they identified the militants by their clothing and by prior threats made by the group.
Some survivors also accused Niger’s army of ignoring warnings about impending raids and refusing appeals for protection.
The tri-border region is a stronghold of jihadist groups linked to both Islamic State and al-Qaeda. Despite years of international military efforts, violence there continues to claim hundreds of lives annually. Niger’s government and military spokespersons did not comment on the report, and Reuters said it could not independently verify HRW’s findings.
Niger’s military junta, which seized power in a July 2023 coup, had cited insecurity as a key justification for toppling the elected government. However, analysts note that data on militant violence showed an improving trend prior to the coup, partly due to counterterrorism operations supported by French and U.S. forces.
Since the putsch, relations with Western allies have soured, raising questions about the country’s security trajectory.
HRW urged Niger’s authorities to investigate the Tillaberi attacks and bring those responsible to justice, calling the killings “apparent war crimes.” The rights group said Niger’s justice ministry did not respond to its questions before the report’s release.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
