aid workers, including French people, were shot dead

On Sunday, eight people were killed by armed men during a tourist excursion in southwestern Niger.

An extremely violent attack took place on Sunday (August 9) in the Kouré area of ​​Niger, where there is a reserve housing the last West African giraffes, reports France-Presse (AFP).

The passengers of a Land Cruiser were targeted by armed men.

A total of eight people lost their lives, including six French, including humanitarian workers from the NGO Acted and Nigeriens. "There are eight dead: two Nigeriens including a (tourist) guide and a driver, the other six are French," Tillabéri governor Tidjani Ibrahim Katiella told AFP.

"Humanitarians should never be a target. Our colleagues were working to support Nigerien communities in difficulty, motivated by the values ​​of humanity and solidarity. This heinous crime must not go unpunished, and will not distract us from our commitment to support the Nigerien people. " is it written in a text from the NGO.

The Élysée confirmed the death of French victims, without giving the number of victims. Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with his Nigerien counterpart, Mahamadou Issoufou, the Elysee said.

"The President of the Republic expresses his condolences and the support of the French nation to the families and loved ones of the victims. (…) all means are and will be implemented to elucidate the circumstances of this murderous attack in the coming hours. ", can we read in the press release.

It was the Nigerien Ministry of Defense which clarified that the six French people killed were humanitarian workers belonging to the NGO Acted. For his part, the NGO lawyer Joseph Breham indicates that "among the eight people killed in Niger, several are Acted employees", but without giving the exact number of deaths among Acted employees.

Support for Nigerien forces was provided by the French army on Sunday, the Paris headquarters announced. "The Barkhane force provided support at the request of the Nigerien authorities."

"We are managing the situation, we will give more information later," said the governor of the region, who did not give details on the circumstances of the attack, nor on the identity of the attackers. .

"The attack took place at around 11:30 am (10:30 am GMT) 6 km east of the town of Kouré which is an hour's drive from Niamey on the national road number 1", explained to AFP, a source close to the environment services.

"Most of the victims were shot dead and a woman who managed to escape was caught and slaughtered. On the spot, we found a magazine emptied of its cartridges. (…) We do not know the identity of the attackers but they came on motorcycles through the bush and waited for the arrival of tourists, "added the source.

The Ouest-France newspaper was able to see photos of the attack. The victims are said to be quite young.

The NGO Acted has been present in Niger since 2010, in the regions of Tillabéry, Diffa and Maradi. It is developing access to water and sanitation for Nigeriens who have fled the jihadist threat. Nearly one million beneficiaries have benefited from shelter kits. In the midst of a health crisis, the body delivered masks and soaps to fight against the spread of the virus.

As a reminder, this region of Tillabéri is very unstable. Located in an area of ​​three borders, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, it has become a haunt of Sahelian jihadists, including the Islamic State in the Great Sahara (EIGS). Day and night, since January, the circulation of motorcycles has been banned in an attempt to prevent the movement of jihadists.

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Video by Clemence Chevallet