At least 44 civilians were killed and 13 others severely injured in a brutal attack on a mosque in southwest Niger Republic during Friday afternoon prayers, the country’s defense ministry confirmed.
The attack occurred in Fombita, a village in the rural commune of Kokorou, near the tri-border region of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, a hotspot of jihadist violence linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates.
Massacre During Ramadan Prayers
According to the defense ministry’s statement on Friday, heavily armed jihadists surrounded the mosque as worshippers gathered for Ramadan prayers and carried out a “massacre of rare cruelty.” The attackers, identified as members of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS), also set fire to a market and several houses before retreating.
Troops deployed to the scene confirmed the provisional death toll of 44 civilians, while 13 others suffered severe injuries. In response, three days of national mourning have been declared.
Escalating Jihadist Insurgency in West Africa
This attack is part of a broader insurgency that has ravaged West Africa’s Sahel region since 2012. The crisis began when Islamist militants took control of northern Mali after a Tuareg rebellion. Over the years, it has spread into Niger, Burkina Faso, and even the coastal West African nations of Togo and Ghana.
Militant groups have targeted towns, villages, military and police posts, and army convoys, leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions.
The failure of governments to curb the violence has fueled political instability, resulting in two coups in Mali, two in Burkina Faso, and one in Niger between 2020 and 2023. These nations remain under military rule, despite pressure from regional and international organizations to hold elections.
Shift in Alliances and the Role of Russia
Since the military takeovers, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have distanced themselves from traditional Western alliesand have instead sought military support from Russia. This geopolitical shift has raised concerns about the effectiveness of counterterrorism efforts in the region.
The recent mosque attack underscores the ongoing security crisis in the Sahel and the growing challenge of militant expansion into West Africa.
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