The town of Banibangou in southwestern Niger mourns the 69 victims of a recent massacre by a terrorist group active in the region.
Residents and citizens shared their frustration and pleas with Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum upon his visit to the town.
“The bandits terrorise us too much, we don’t know the reasons, why there is still no peace in Banibangou, we really try to understand, we are killed, again and again, we are robbed, we are tortured and we don’t know for what reasons,” said Kallam Tinni, the traditional chief of Banibangou.
The attack occurred on Tuesday, November 2, but the government did not confirm it until Thursday, November 4.
“On Tuesday, November 2, 2021, (…) the mayor of the commune of Bani Bangou, while travelling with a delegation of nationals of the said commune, was ambushed by unidentified armed bandits,” said the Nigerien Ministry of the Interior.
Fifteen people survived, and a search operation was underway. Until today, no group claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack was one of the deadliest in the “three borders” area, where the territories of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger meet. Terrorist groups, some linked with Al Qaeda, actively operate in the poverty-stricken area to establish control and eliminate local and international military forces.
This time, the attack happened in Tillabéri region. The area has faced a wave of violence of suspected terrorists since early 2021, with thousands of civilians killed while millions lost their homes.
