Seven Nigerien soldiers were killed on Sunday May 7 by the explosion of their vehicle on a mine in the region of Tillabéri (west), where jihadist groups regularly operate, announced the National Guard of Niger (GNN).
“Weekly Resupply Escort Mission Vehicle Hit Mine” at the end of the morning, about 6 kilometers from the village of Samira, in the department of Gothèye, near the border with Burkina Faso, indicates a press release from the GNN, attached to the Ministry of the Interior and at the forefront in the fight against jihadists . “Unfortunately, we deplore the death of seven occupants of the vehicle”adds the text read Sunday evening on public television.
The village of Samira has been home to Niger’s only industrial gold mine since 2004. The department of Gothèye is located on the right bank of the Niger River in the Tillabéri region, an area of the three borders between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Violent clashes between communities
The Nigerien government has been carrying out actions there since February 2022 against jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaida and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS) organization, as part of an operation called “Niya” (“will” in French). local), more than 2,000 strong.
Niger is also confronted with the deadly actions of Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa (Iswap) in its south-eastern part. Last week the army killed “six terrorists” and captured nineteen in the Ayorou area (Tillabéri region), where violent clashes between communities recently left several dead.
In June 2022, eight gendarmes were killed and thirty-three injured during an attack “terrorist” in Waraou, a locality located in the department of Gothèye. In its fight against the jihadists, Niger enjoys the support of several Western countries, including France and the United States, which have military bases there.
Paris is in the process of reorganizing its military presence in the Sahel where Niger is an essential ally which hosts some 2,000 French soldiers, while those who were present in Mali and Burkina Faso have been driven out.