Niger: Curfew imposed in Tillabéri city February 13

Event

Nigerien authorities have imposed a curfew in the city of Tillaberi (Tillaberi region) on Wednesday, February 13, due to the degrading security situation in the area. As such, vehicular movement is prohibited from 19:00 to 06:00 (local time), while movement of people is prohibited from 22:00 to 06:00 (local time). Unauthorized public demonstrations have also been banned. According to officials, the order authorizes the search of personal property and domiciles at any time, allows for the confiscation of weapons, and increased identity controls. A "dead city" protest was held in Tillabéri on February 14, to denounce the measure; further such protests are possible in the coming days.

As a reminder, the curfew has been introduced amid the state of emergency in effect in the Tillaberi region, which was also extended to ten out of the 13 region's departments. The state of emergency is expected to remain in place until at least mid-March. According to the authorities, the security situation in the Tillabéry region remains fragile due to Islamist militant activities, especially along the border with Mali and Burkina Faso, where the military presence has increased since October 2018.

Context

Officials placed the Tillabéry as well as the Tahoua regions under a state of emergency in March 2017 due to an increase in attacks targeting refugee camps and security forces. The Diffa region is also under a state of emergency since February 2015.

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.