Search
  1. Home
  2. West Africa
  3. Niger
  • News

Rebels request demilitarised zone

    ABIDJAN

    Former Tuareg and Tubu rebels in Niger have called for the
    demilitarisation of the southeastern Manga region bordering Nigeria and Chad, AFP reported at the weekend.

    Seventeen civilians from the area were killed during recent operations carried out by a joint force of soldiers from Niger, Chad and Nigeria, according to a statement by Front democratique revolutionnaire (FDR).

    It also demanded an amnesty for rebel detainees and reported the discovery of a mass grave of 150 civilians whom the rebels said had been killed the previous month by Niger soldiers in the Bosso area near Lake Chad. The army has denied the allegation, AFP said.

    The former rebels said military operations were paralysing the application of peace accords it signed last year in the Chadian capital, N'Djamena.

    "To give peace a chance, we demand the demilitarisation of the Manga area," the statement said.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join