On June 22, 2007, militants from the Niger Movement for Justice (MNJ) attacked an army base in Niger killing 13 soldiers, wounding 30, and taking 72 prisoners. The attack occurred in a remote Sahara outpost near the Libyan border. MNJ chief Agaly Alambo indicated that the attack was a, “direct reply to the president,” who refuses to acknowledge that the Tuareg rebels exist.
Roots of the Conflict
Tuareg militants fought a five-year insurgency from 1990 until 1995 when a peace deal was signed by the Niger government. The insurgency was fought to establish greater autonomy in Niger and Mali.
Tuaregs are a mostly nomadic tribe that lives throughout the Sahara Desert in Algeria, Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, and Niger.
Since the 1995 peace deal, the government has struggled to establish rule of law and end banditry that has plagued the region. The Tuaregs have repeatedly claimed that the government has not followed through with the agreements of the initial peace deal. Many Tuaregs feel they have been marginalized by the government since ending their insurgency. However, the Tuaregs have mostly remained peaceful in their opposition to government policies.
A Renewed Insurgency
On February 8, 2007, militants attacked an army outpost killing three Nigerien soldiers and kidnapping two. A previously unknown group, MNJ, claimed responsibility for the attack and sought the release of Tuaregs from Nigerien prisons, a greater distribution of oil and mineral resources, and a greater role in the government. However, the Nigerien government dismissed the group as “bandits,” and did not negotiate. Since that date, several additional attacks have occurred:
• MNJ militants were involved in a March 1, 2007, attack on a bus traveling between the regional towns of Arlit and Agadez.
• MNJ militants were also involved in clashes with the Nigerien army on March 2, 2007.
• In April 2007, as many as 30 armed MNJ militants attacked Niger’s largest uranium mine, killing one security guard and wounding three others.
• On June 17, MNJ militants launched an attack against one of Niger’s main airports in the northern town of Agadez.
• Additionally, MNJ militants have raided uranium mines, one of Niger’s main natural resource.
Future Attacks Likely
Due to the government of Niger’s inability to gain control of the region in which the MNJ operate, it is unlikely that the government will be effective in stopping future attacks in the near-term.
The attacks on Niger military installations illustrate how effective and well armed the militants have become. It is believed that the MNJ also likely receive support from the local population of Tuaregs.
Future attacks remain likely, however they will probably be limited to the northern part of the country where the MNJ is primarily based. It is unlikely the militants would be able to launch an attack within the Niger capitol, Niamey. The government appears, at this point, unwilling to negotiate with the MNJ who they refer to as “bandits.”
