At least 58 people were killed in a massacre in the terror-ridden West African state of Niger. According to a government statement read on state television, a state mourning was ordered this Wednesday. The attack had already occurred on Monday in the north-west of the country in the Tillabéri region, on the border with Mali. It was directed against traders returning from a nearby market.
Initially, nothing was known about the background – so far, no group has known about the attack. Terrorist groups that have sworn allegiance to Al Qaeda or the “Islamic State” (IS) are active in the countries of the Sahel region. The government has little control in the deserted expanses outside the cities, which is not only used by jihadist groups, but also by criminal networks. In the border region with Mali, in particular, there are repeated serious attacks – such as at the beginning of the year in the villages of Tchombangou and Zaroumdareye, where more than 100 people were killed and many were injured.
