Niger: State of emergency extended until mid-March

Event

Niger’s government announced that the state of emergency in southeastern and western parts of the country will be extended for three months from Monday, December 18. The Diffa, Tillabéry, and Tahoua regions are all under the state of emergency. According to the authorities, the security situation in the Diffa region (southeast) remains fragile due to Boko Haram activity. In the west, there is still a persistent threat of terrorist groups, mostly operating out of Mali.

Context

The Diffa region has been under a state of emergency since February 2015, and has been extended by the government several times. Officials placed the Tillabéry and Tahoua regions under a state of emergency in March 2017, due to an increase in attacks by jihadists targeting refugee camps and security forces.

Niger faces a high threat from terrorism, including armed attacks and abductions. Militant Islamist cells from various Nigerian and Malian terrorist groups - including Boko Haram as well as Al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), and Al-Mourabitoun - are all active in the country.

Advice

Individuals throughout Niger should exercise vigilance when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted by an attack (government buildings, prominent hotels, etc.) and report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities. Many Western governments advise their citizens against all travel to areas located in the north and west of the country, as well as areas along the Nigerian border to the south, due to the high risk of terrorist activity.