Disarmament of armed groups reaches final stage

Niger began on Tuesday the final stage of disarming and integrating into society various anti-government forces that had fought for greater autonomy for - if not the separation of - their northern homelands from the rest of the country, state-owned Niger Radio announced.

The ceremony, near the town of Agadez, some 750 km northeast of Niamey, was witnessed by French diplomats, government officials and leaders of several armed groups.

The site will serve as a camp for ex-fighters from three guerrilla groups, among them the Union des forces de la resistance armee (UFRA), whose leader, Mohammed Ag Annacko, is now a minister and adviser to Niger's president.

In Tuesday's ceremony, 79 UFRA fighters were disarmed and reintegrated into government military and paramilitary units, the radio said. The disarmament process also includes another 64 members of other rebel groups from Chad's Tuareg, Toubou minorities, the radio said.

A former rebel leader, Sia Katou, said he expected the government to fulfill its part of a peace accord signed in Algiers in 1997 and reintegrate another 300 ex-rebels into the national armed forces.

"Yesterday, we carried out the final disarmament of all the fronts ... So today, we expect the government to fulfill its side of the agreement. We want the integration of our people to be finalized," he said.