Attack against Fulani in Niger: “innocent victims are massacred”

17 dead and one seriously injured, is the record of the killing that took place on Friday night, 2km from the Malian border in Nigerien territory.

The attack targeted only Fulani. The assailants who were presented as Tuaregs by witnesses retreated rapidly into Mali and could not be apprehended.

Nigerien Minister of the Interior Mohamed Bazoum went on site yesterday with the governor of Tillabery and the Chairman of Ayorou.

According to the authorities there is no doubt, it is retaliation. The attackers have deliberately targeted and killed 17 Fulani… to take revenge on so many Touaregs killed in recent weeks in an attack in Mali, Fulani breeders’ manager calls.

This is not the first time that incursions have taken place at the border, Aboubacar Diallo, president of the Council of herdsmen “Peuls du Nord” Tillabéry, points the finger at the MSA and GATIA two groups of the Menaka zone in Mali, which according to him engage in settling of account under cover of fight against terrorism.

“Hundreds of bereaved families”

According to the moving appeal of Boubacar Diallo, local representative of Peul herdmens.
He said he was very worried about the deterioration of the situation: “The Fulani community is really worried about the extremely serious situation that currently prevails along the border between Niger and Mali. These intercommunal conflicts are still, to plague hundreds of families. This is really worrying and extremely serious situation, and it is innocent victims who are being slaughtered. It has nothing to do with the fight against terrorism we are talking about.”

“Today, the pasture has been destroyed. Does grazing belong to ISIS? The civilian populations that are being killed, do they have anything to do with ISIS? It has nothing to do. It’s really accounts that these people are doing on the ground. We are far from a fight against terrorism,” He said.

Do not reproduce what happened in Rwanda

Really, we do not feel protected, is saddened Aboubacar Diallo lamented. “These people do what they want and they go away… The intercommunity conflict, we must avoid it because we saw what happened in Rwanda and it must be avoided in the Sahel. This is the message we really want to convey to the French public and to our states”.

For several months, Tuareg and Fulani have taken the responsibility of killings, with a very heavy balance sheet since dozens of civilians have died on both sides of the border between Mali and Niger; whole camps were burned and pastures burned. Today Niamey is worried about the upsurge of terrorist incursions at the border, but also about the multiplication of these community conflicts.

Insecurity is becoming widespread

The clashes no longer involve Fulani and Touareg communities. Three weeks ago, in Filingue, north of Niamey, Peuls attacked Hausa. Reporters also points to the proliferation of acts of banditry on the roads that have a direct impact on the daily lives of the people. Thus, because of the insecurity, the people of Ayorou avoid the market of Inates a little further north.

Despite the efforts of the Nigerien authorities, the sector remains difficult to control and secure.

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