Terrorist massacre in Niger. Security and Humanitarian Commitment. Part one.
Was the giraffe park really Niger most Zen area?
On Sunday 9th August morning, eight people (two Niger citizen and six Frenchs) were slaughtered in the tourist area of Kourè, which is home to the last herds of West African giraffes, less than an hour’s drive from the capital Niamey. The police and the special anti-terrorism forces arrived an hour after the massacre, having been warned by civilians living in the area, and after the expert reports and having heard two eyewitnesses, they were able to partially reconstruct the events.
The eight people were on board an all terrain vehicle belonging to the French NGO Acted, they were intercepted by gunmen on motorcycles who immediately opened fire on the vehicle. The dynamics of the attack lead the investigators to assume a premeditated ambush, as premeditated was the intention to massacre all passengers. The horrendous massacre shocked public opinion in Niger and the world. The dynamics of the ambush undoubtedly demonstrate the will of the terrorists to kill Westerners. One wonders whether the attack was aimed at the community of foreign aid workers present in the country or whether it was a generic desire to massacre whites. Did the attackers not realize that they were cooperating? A hypothesis being examined by investigators that becomes increasingly unlikely as the victims traveled aboard a vehicle with the NGO’s clearly visible emblems.
The reaction of the French NGO ACTED was immediate. “ACTED and IMPACT Initiatives condemn with the utmost firmness the senseless and barbaric killers of our colleagues and their guide. In these tragic times, our hearts go out to their families and loved ones at home and in Niger. All of our teams around the world join in their mourning. We ask the media and the general public to respect the dignity and privacy of victims. Aid workers must never be a target. Our colleagues have worked to support Nigerian people facing poverty, guided by values of humanity and solidarity. This heinous crime must not go unpunished and will not distract us from our commitment to support the Nigerian people ”, reads the press release of the French NGO.
The same press release was published by the NGO IMPACT Initiative, an important “think-and-do tank” based in Geneva that aims to improve the impact of humanitarian, stabilization and development action through data, partnerships and programs to strengthen capacity. The two NGOs collaborate in humanitarian activities and have been present in Niger for over 8 years, focusing their interventions in the Tillabéri region where the town of Kourè is located.
After the preliminary investigations, the names of the victims are now known. Kadri Abdou. 51 years old, married and father of 13 children. Former farmer, who for twenty years became a tourist guide in the Kouré region, where he was born. At 51, he was married to two women and father of 13 children. He chaired the Association for the Promotion of Ecotourism (Aven) and the Association of Giraffe Guides of Kouré. Boubacar G., 50 years old. Moved with four children. He was expecting the fifth child. Driver of the NGO ACTED. There is no particular indication of how long he worked for the French NGO
Antonin G., 26, originally from Carhaix (Finistère). A graduate of the Ecole de Paris-Saslacy, a former research assistant in a center attached to the National School of Statistics and Economic Administration (Ensae), Antonin left for Niger as an ACTED volunteer. First experience in Africa. Charline Fouchet, 30 years old from Barentin (Seine-Maritime) hired for 4 months by IMPACT Initiative as “Program Officer” with past two years experience at the French Embassy in Nigeria with the task of promoting the system of French higher education throughout Nigeria in order to increase the number of Nigerian students in France.
Léo R., 25, of Breton origin, was a student of the Rennes School of Business hired by ACTED as a volunteer immediately after finishing his studies. First experience in Africa. Myriam D., 20, originally from Toulouse, graduated from the Paris-Dauphine University in international affairs and “Peace Studies”. He has worked for the NGO Acted for two years in its headquarters (Paris) and on short missions in Tunisia and Chad. She had arrived in Niger a few months ago. The mission in Niger was her songo, her friends tell the media.
Nadifa L., 30 years old. Graduated from several masters in law and management, she was preparing a thesis on the liability of arms exporting companies at the University of Aix-Marseille. Joining the Salvation Army during the Coronavirus crisis, she arrived in Niger last June. His only experience in Africa lasted 6 months in the Central African Republic with a European military mission. “He loved animals and nature,” say his relatives. Stella G., 28 years old. Graduated in Marketing in Montpellier, her hometown. In 2015 she began working in the humanitarian sector as a volunteer of the Red Cross. Only one year of experience in Africa at Oxfam in the Central African Republic before being hired by Acted in Niger.
Heartfelt condolences go to the families of the eight victims.
In the 48 hours following the massacre, intense media activity by the NGO ACTED was highlighted, probably justified by the seriousness of the security incident that took place in a region of the country infested by various Islamic terrorist groups from Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Mali.
The first joint statement with the IMPACT Initiative was followed by others from both the NGO and their lawyer: Me Joseph Breham who insists on the safety of the area where the massacre took place. “There were certainly contraindications to being everywhere in Niger, but this area in particular, in the general contraindication of Niger, was one of the most Zen areas, indeed the most Zen”, says the lawyer of the NGO ACTED.
The French NGO announced its intention to file a criminal complaint “so that what happened is clarified, so that families know exactly what happened, if it is an attack of opportunity, right? has been planned, it’s something that could happen again, “said the NGO lawyer,” said lawyer Me Joseph Breham. ACTED also decided to temporarily suspend humanitarian activities in Niger. A reasonable choice after the massacre that it has effectively annihilated almost all of the expatriate staff.
Returning to the press releases and the various statements made by the NGO ACTED and their lawyer, we note the total absence in specifying the internal management of security. Everything revolves around whether the giraffe park was truly the “most Zen in Niger” and what safety measures were taken before taking the Sunday trip that ended in a tragedy.
The Tillabéri region, to which Kouré is annexed, is considered OFF LIMITS since July 2019 by decision of the international lenders and Embassies (including France and Italy) as it is identified as a vast unstable territory. It is located in the “three borders” area between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, which has become a haunt for Sahelian jihadists, including the Islamic State in the Great Sahara (EIGS).
Since last May the various Islamic terrorist groups have been carrying out a maneuver to encircle the capital Niamey with the aim of conquering it militarily. The capital has not yet fallen into their hands only thanks to the presence of the French military actively engaged in fighting against terrorists. These groups enjoy great mobility, excellent knowledge of the terrain and support from part of the population tired of the French presence and from various and influential Nigerien Imams. In the Tillabéri region, the police and regular army no longer control the land, despite their continued presence.
At the time, financiers and embassies, while agreeing on the extreme danger of the region, differed on the directives given to NGOs. The UN Agencies and the European Union allowed expatriates to monitor projects lasting up to 8 hours and advised NGOs to avoid the continuous presence of expatriate personnel on project areas. The Italian Cooperation (AICS) and the Embassy of Italy, on the contrary, prohibited Italian NGOs from either the continued presence of expatriates or from short missions. Field activities were to be entrusted solely to national staff or local partners.
In this context of growing insecurity and escalation of terrorist attacks, how to justify a Sunday trip to Kouré where the famous natural park is located where the last specimens of giraffes in the region are housed: Kouré Giraffe Reserve? Located about 60 kilometers southeast of the city, the Kouré Giraffe Reserve is easily accessible by 4x4 vehicle. The visitor’s fee is used to promote the conservation of giraffes; manage the reserve; and finance agricultural, educational and health projects for the villages of the region. Farmers in the area were trained as part of the conservation effort to work as guides.
The question about the advisability of a Sunday trip during this period has been raised by various Western and Nigerien media outlets. “Kouré is 60 km from Niamey, an hour’s drive. We all go to Kouré for a weekend trip as it is very easy to get there. Everyone goes there, including ambassadors, diplomats, teachers, everyone! It is by no means considered a dangerous area, “a Western humanitarian explains to the media.
The reality unfortunately seems different. Despite that President Mahamadou Issoufou considers the area as “peaceful” (in order to maintain the income of hard currency of the only tourist attraction that can be visited in the country) since last May there have been various reports of the inhabitants of the area of the presence of terrorists ( or presumed ones) in motion. In fact, the park has seen a drastic drop in visitors due to the deterioration in security. TripAdvisor informs that it is not possible to book travel from Europe. The latest reviews of the park on TripAdvisor date back to March 2019…
Both ACTED and their lawyer insisted on the safety of the park and the Kouré area to demonstrate the unpredictability of the accident. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs refutes this thesis, referring to the recommendations of maximum supervision published for some time on its website. “Due to the security situation across the region, the terrorist threat to Niger, especially outside the capital and near the borders, is high. The actions perpetrated for several years on the borders of Niger (kidnappings, attacks) underline the persistence and diversity of the threat despite the mobilization of the security and defense forces of the countries of the region to fight it. Public places where expatriates are concentrated are particularly targeted. “
The nature park is located in the vicinity of Nigeria, a border used by various terrorist groups to infiltrate Niger. However, the Kouré area, only sixty kilometers from Niamey, is not located in the vast region off limits to expatriates, known as the “red zone”. The area is considered “orange”, therefore theoretically practicable. However, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs specifies: “The areas indicated in orange on the safety map are not recommended unless there is a valid reason. In case of travel in these areas, it is imperative to contact the French Embassy in advance” .
The Nigerian journalist and writer Seidik Abba, expert in Islamic terrorism and author of the book inchesta Voyage au coeur de Boko Haram, confirmed to the French media that the area of the ambush until last Sunday was not an area of particular military alert. However, he wished to point out that the park with the beautiful giraffes is close to the borders with Nigeria and Burkina Faso where terrorist groups are present en masse and very active in military raids in Niger.
The diatribe over the security of the Kourè area still persists. On the one hand we have various Nigerian sources and European diplomatic personnel who affirm the deterioration of the security of the area and the need to take adequate security measures or (better) to avoid nature trips. On the other hand, we have the Nigerian government (very embarrassed) which until Sunday considered Kourè a very quiet area. Opinion shared by various Western expatriates who, to relax from work stress, sometimes joyfully went to see the beautiful and last giraffes of the Sahel.
