As community-based security mechanisms gain ground across the region, Niger has launched a new initiative aimed at mobilising citizens in support of regular forces.
Backed by the M62 movement and the Ministry of the Interior, the “Garkoua Kassa” program seeks to engage youth in local defense and development.
An official ceremony was held Sunday in Niamey to mark the launch of the initiative, spearheaded by the M62 movement under the supervision of the Ministry of the Interior, Public Security, and Territorial Administration.
The program aims to establish a network of young volunteers trained and supervised in coordination with relevant state agencies, with a view to strengthening urban security and contributing to grassroots development.
Specifically, the initiative includes nighttime patrols conducted under the guidance of defense and security forces (FDS), public awareness campaigns on civic responsibility and patriotism, efforts to counter disinformation, and various community service activities in neighbourhoods across the capital.
Interior Minister General Mohamed Toumba praised the initiative, saying it fully aligns with the “call for civilian defense” he issued on September 30, 2024. He commended the M62 movement and urged Nigerien citizens to “step up their commitment to defending the motherland.”
The Minister of State also used the opportunity to call on Nigeriens involved in non-state armed groups to “lay down their arms and return to serve the nation,” while appealing for prayers for peace and stability throughout the country.
The launch comes amid a growing regional reliance on auxiliary forces to support national armies.
In Mali, several local self-defense groups maintain close ties with the government in Bamako. In Burkina Faso, the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP)—established under former President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré and significantly expanded by Captain Ibrahim Traoré—actively support the armed forces in the fight against terrorism.
AC/lb/as/APA