Niger Declares National Mourning over Attacks Victims, Boosts Security

On Monday, Niger announced nationwide mourning for three days and it also declared boosting up security in a western border region where jihadists killed 100 villagers.

Interior Minister Alkache Alhada told AFP that "We decided to decree three days of national mourning, and we are going to enhance the presence of the security forces," adding that the country plans to launch an initiative to lessen the ethnic tensions.

Local mayor Almou Hassane stated that "Terrorists riding motorbikes killed 70 people in the village of Tchoma Bangou and 30 in Zaroumadareye."

Alhada, after his meeting with the National Security Council headed by President Mahamadou Issoufou, said troop numbers would be doubled to achieve "greater saturation" of the area.

He also added that "We have to stop interventions. We have to ensure security in the region, but one of the difficulties is that there's a gap on the Malian side."

Alhada also promised support, in the form of food aid, for communities which suffered losses.

Niger is caught in the middle between jihadists crossing from Mali and Nigeria, in its southeast.

34 people were killed in the southeastern region of Diffa on December 12 by Boko Haram jihadists.

Niger's armed forces lost about 200 men to road bombs and camp raids in the last two years.

It is noteworthy that the jihadist insurgency in the vast Sahel began in northern Mali eight years ago and then spread into Niger and Burkina Faso.