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Three killed as French army convoy runs into fresh trouble in Niger: Mayor
[AlAhram] A French military convoy heading to Mali on Saturday ran into more trouble in a town in Niger after being delayed for more than a week by protests in Burkina Faso...The country in west Africa that they put where Upper Volta used to be. Its capital is Oogadooga, or something like that. Its president is currently Blaise Compaoré, who took office in 1987 and will leave office feet first, one way or the other... , with the local mayor reporting three deaths and 18 maimed. The supply convoy, which arrived in Africa in Ivory Coast last week, has crossed Burkina Faso and on Friday entered Niger on its way to central Mali. Its destination is a base at Gao -- a hub of La Belle France's Barkhane operation, which is shoring up allies in the Sahel against a jihadist insurgency that began in northern Mali nearly a decade ago. But festivities reportedly broke out at Tera in western Niger on Saturday which the mayor said left "three people dead and 18 maimed," including four who had to be evacuated for treatment in the capital Niamey, 200 kilometres (120 miles) away. The French army said it was in contact with the Nigerien authorities, but was "not in a position to confirm this toll at this stage". "No French soldier was maimed," French army front man Pascal Ianni told AFP. But "two civilian drivers in the convoy were hurt by stones and some civilian trucks were damaged." "The convoy halted last night at Tera. This morning, when they wanted to continue the road to Niamey, they were stopped by 1,000 demonstrators and a WARNING SHOTS Niger gendarmes fired teargas to disperse the protesters, he added. Later, mid-morning, "tensions soared again" and the gendarmes and French soldiers "fired warning shots", Ianni said before the more than 100-vehicle convoy was able to move off. He denied "false information" posted on social networks that the French army had killed dozens of civilians at Tera. After entering Burkina Faso last week, the convoy was slowed by protesters at Bobo-Dioulasso, the country's second largest city, and then in Ouagadougou, the capital. On November 19, several thousand demonstrators blocked the convoy at Kaya, about 100 km north of Ouagadougou. The following day, local sources said four people had suffered gunshot wounds in Kaya, in circumstances that remain unclear -- French and Burkinabe soldiers fired warning shots and tear gas to disperse demonstrators. Protest organisers said they wanted to expose flaws in Burkina Faso's security accords with former colonial ruler La Belle France. But rumours have also spread on social media -- which were recounted by protesters in Kaya -- claiming the convoy was in fact carrying weapons for the jihadists. Burkinabe Foreign Minister Alpha Barry dismissed the rumours on Wednesday and pointed to what he said was La Belle France's long history of help at times of crisis. On Friday Niger President Mohammed Bazoum had expressed his "gratitude" to La Belle France and applauded its "sacrifices" in the Sahel. Related: Barkhane: 2021-11-03 Top US military commander concludes trip to East Africa Barkhane: 2021-10-22 French Army Kills Senior al-Qaeda Member, 4 Other Terrorists, in Mali Airstrike Barkhane: 2021-09-16 French soldiers kill Islamic State leader in Western Sahara, Macron says Related: Tera: 2021-08-29 Portland: Serial police brutality complainant arrested in motor vehicle homicide Tera: 2021-06-27 Niger, Burkina Faso hail joint ops against Islamist Militants Tera: 2020-05-22 'It's still working!' Metal-detecting divers discover luxury watch worth thousands of pounds on sea bed off Corfu Posted by: trailing wife 2021-11-28 |
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