Niger: Military operations in Tillabéri region

Event

On Saturday, November 3, the Nigerien Ministry of Interior announced that the military had destroyed several jihadist camps in the Torodi sector of the Tillabéri region during the previous week. According to senior military officials, security forces have intensified operations to engage and clear militants along the border with Mali and Burkina Faso, where the security situation has deteriorated in recent months. Additional military operations targeting Islamist militants are possible in southwestern Niger in the near term.

Context

Militants have been increasingly active along the Niger-Mali-Burkina Faso border area, which the countries' respective governments have had difficulty securing. Officials placed the Tillabéri region under a state of emergency in March 2017 due to an increase in attacks 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, 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 (e.g. 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, including areas along the border with Burkina Faso, as well as areas along the Nigerian border to the south, due to the high risk of terrorist activity.