Maghreb Edition

Boko Haram Targets Niger, Panic in the East of the CountryF

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Posted On 5 December 2014

Number of times this article was read : 482

Niger, the northern neighbor of Nigeria is now on the target list of the West African Islamist militant group Boko Haram. Boko Haram’s attacks within Nigeria forced thousands of residents to seek refuge in Niger, which is now getting the unwanted attention as a target itself. Diffa, the regional capital of eastern Niger is seeing the first signs of a new crisis, involving both incoming refugees from Nigeria, on one hand, and Boko Haram, on the other. Fear of a Boko Haram attack prompted local authorities to shut down all the schools and medical establishments all along the border with Nigeria. The closing of these public establishments led to the spreading of rumors about imminent attacks. Subsequently, a state of panic has begun to take place in the entire eastern region.

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The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.