Over 18,000 individuals, primarily residing on islands in the Niger River within Niger’s Tillabéri region, have commenced the process of returning to their homes following recent violence, partially attributed to intercommunal clashes, according to official sources reported by AFP on Monday.
Moussa Douma, the mayor of Ayorou, a town located 200 kilometers from Niamey where numerous women and children sought refuge, stated, “Some people left on their own two days ago, and a voluntary return operation was launched this morning (Monday) by the government.”
To ensure security as a precursor to the return, armed forces have been deployed to the islands, as affirmed by Douma. The official figures indicate that a total of 18,775 displaced individuals, with 13,400 in Ayorou and 5,375 in Dessa, are affected by this repatriation effort.
In their journey back, the displaced individuals are utilizing motor canoes, the very vessels they had fled in to escape the violence, which often included attacks by suspected jihadists. The government and its partners have provided them with fuel, food, and shelter, Douma added.
“The crisis led to the departure of several people from their localities to safer areas,” emphasized Hamadou Adamou Souley, Niger’s Minister of the Interior, during an appearance on public television on Sunday after returning to Ayorou. He expressed that “calm and peace have been restored.”
This marks the government’s initial public response following the clashes, the exact toll of which remains unknown. A local elected official reported “at least ten deaths.”
According to local sources, “violent clashes” erupted between sedentary Djerma communities and nomadic Fulani herders in late April and early May in villages and settlements along the Niger River, resulting in “several deaths, injuries,” and a significant number of displacements.
The affected areas predominantly encompass the communes of Dessa, Kandadji, and Ayorou, as noted by these sources.
A local journalist explained that these clashes ensued following “several assassinations” of villagers by suspected jihadists, who also engage in cattle theft and “demand taxes.”
The Tillabéri region is situated within the “three borders” zone where Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali intersect. Djerma, Fulani, Tuareg, and Hausa ethnic groups inhabit the region.
Niger has undertaken several large-scale operations in the area against jihadists, receiving recent support from French troops stationed in the region.
