Macron Vows to Step up Security in Africa's Sahel

This morning, the French President Emmanuel Macron said that France will step up security measures to protect its citizens in the Sahel region.

Macron's comments come two days after six French aid workers were shot to death in Niger.

Macron tweeted: "We will do everything we can to support the families of the victims and to respond to the attack that cost the lives of six of our compatriots and two Nigeriens. These six young people, who were members of the NGO 'ACTED', showed extraordinary commitment to the local population."

Macron added: "I have decided to step up security measures for our citizens in the region. We will continue in our action to eradicate the terrorist groups, with the increased support of our partners."

On Sunday, six French citizens and their local guide and driver were killed by gunmen riding motorcycles in an area of southwestern Niger that is home to the last West African giraffes.

"There are eight dead: two Nigerians including a guide and a driver, while the other six are French," the governor of the Tillaberi region Tidjani Ibrahim Katiella told AFP.

"We are managing the situation, we will give more information later," Katiella said, without indicating who was behind the attack.

A source close to the environmental services said the assault took place at around 11:30 am (1030 GMT) six kilometres (four miles) east of the town of Koure, which is an hour's drive from the capital Niamey.

"Most of the victims were shot... We found a magazine emptied of its cartridges at the scene," the source told AFP.

"We do not know the identity of the attackers but they came on motorcycles through the bush and waited for the arrival of the tourists."

The source added that the tourists' vehicle belonged to the French humanitarian organisation ACTED.

The attack is believed to be the first on tourists in the area, a popular attraction in the former French colony thanks to its unique population of West African or Niger giraffes.

The Sahel region, especially Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, is witnessing increased attacks by terrorist groups, despite the deployment of government forces and more than five thousand members of the French forces from the Barkhane force to combat terrorism.

Terrorist attacks killed nearly 4,000 people in the Sahel countries last year, according to United Nations estimates.