19 Apr 2019 | 06:17 PM UTC
Niger: Curfew modified in Diffa following recent Boko Haram attacks April 19 /update 1
Officials modify hours of curfew in Diffa effective April 19; further Boko Haram attacks likely in southeastern Niger in the near term
Event
Officials have modified the existing curfew in Diffa (Diffa region) effective Friday, April 19, following a series of attacks by Boko Haram militants. The daily curfew is now in effect from 19:00 to 05:00 (local time) for all vehicular traffic and from 21:00 to 05:00 for pedestrian traffic.
Further attacks by Boko Haram militants as well as a heightened security presence are expected in the region in the coming weeks.
Context
Niger's Diffa region, which borders Lake Chad, has been subject to recurrent jihadist attacks since 2015. Although the regional counterinsurgency effort against Boko Haram that began in 2015 - led by West African states Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger - has greatly diminished the extent of the group's effective territorial control, Boko Haram maintains the capacity to routinely carry out deadly terrorist attacks. Boko Haram's stronghold is in northeastern Nigeria, where the majority of the group's activities are concentrated.
Advice
Individuals in Niger are advised to monitor related developments, remain vigilant for militant activity, and limit time in areas deemed particularly likely to be targeted in a terrorist attack (crowded markets, etc.).
