Dozens of mines have exploded as they were being handed over by Tuareg rebels to the government of Niger. One person was killed and 40 seriously injured when a man accidentally stepped on one of the mines, setting off a chain reaction, officials say. Among the injured is the governor of the Zinder region where the arms handover was taking place.
The Tuareg rebel Niger Movement for Justice (MNJ) last week denied it would end their year-long fight.
The dead man was a government official who had been acting as an intermediary between the government and the rebels, the Associated Press news agency reported.