In Niger, the UN Secretary General meets “martyred populations”


Antonio Guterres met on Tuesday with displaced persons and refugees from Ouallam, Niger, fleeing jihadist violence. He calls for increased international aid to the country.

In Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world, violence is part of everyday life. On the occasion of a trip to Ouallam, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres himself described this Tuesday the displaced and refugees as “martyred populations” by the jihadist violence striking the countries of the Sahel. For Guterres, the urgency is to strengthen international aid in Niger, while many displaced Nigeriens and refugees have had to flee Mali and Burkina Faso.

In question : “the presence of armed groups in northern Mali today does not allow us to return home safely”, insists Aminata Walet Issafeitane, spokesperson for Malian refugees, facing Guterres. Before adding that “it is for this reason that we ask you to continue to make our situation one of your priorities”.

It is with a promise that the UN Secretary General responds: “You can count on me to demand strong support from the international community for the Niger army, so that it has the capacity to better protect you.” He also intends to ask for support for the populations of Niger and the refugees “with the necessary resources so that there are schools for everyone, hospitals that work”.

Serious food crisis

His visit to Niger, which began Monday in Niamey, ends in Ouallam, a town in the Tillabéri region located in the so-called “of the three borders” between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. An area which has been the scene, since 2017, of the bloody actions of jihadist movements linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) group. Faced with this violence, a Nigerien armynot sufficiently equipped against terrorist groups : we must invest in the army of Niger”claims Guterres. “Now that in Mali and Burkina there have been coups d’etat, Niger must be a wall that terrorists are not able to cross.” He also visited the Nigerien special forces based in Ouallam and supervised by the French and American armies, without journalists.

The country is home to 250,000 displaced people and more than 264,000 Nigerian and Malian refugees, to which are added more than 13,000 Burkinabes fleeing the atrocities of the jihadists, according to the UN. This violence led to the closure of 800 schools with more than 69,400 students.

In addition to jihadist attacks, Niger is also facing drought and the effects of climate change. This year, the country is also hit by a serious food crisis due to drought and jihadist violence that has prevented farmers from cultivating their fields. According to Niamey, more than 4.4 million people “will be severely food insecure” from July, about 20% of the population. Ouallam is among the most affected areas, according to the UN. The acute malnutrition rate among children in Niger will be 12.5%, exceeding the emergency threshold of 10% set by the World Health Organization (WHO).



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