The President of the African Union Commission (AUC), Moussa Faki Mahamat has expressed his outrage and concern at the frequent terrorist attacks targeting civilians in Niger.
Within a week, 203 people were killed in the west of the country by gunmen. Six days before last Sunday’s attack that left 137 people dead, 66 people were killed in Tillabery. This border region of Tahoua is located in the area known as the ‘three borders’ on the edge of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.
“While strongly condemning the cowardice of the latest attacks on Sunday March 21 in the Tahoua region in Niger (…) the President of the Commission extends his condolences to the families of the victims,” the AUC says in a press release.
He reiterates the urgent need to strengthen the fight against terrorism in the Sahel to preserve human lives and calls for solidarity from all in these particularly difficult times.
For its part, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) echoes these words of the AU Commission and condemns the deadly attacks on internally displaced people who have fled earlier violence.
“UNHCR is assessing needs and stands ready to provide health care to affected people, as well as ensure their protection, as populations could reach the neighboring towns of Intikane, Telemces and Tahoua, where we are already providing, with our partners, humanitarian assistance to refugees, internally displaced persons and vulnerable people among host communities,” the agency wrote in a press release..
TE/fss/abj/APA