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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 11 augusT 2020
Niger, French forces in search of gunmen who killed tourists

By DALATOU MAMANE and PACT Initiatives was first
SYLVIE CORBET deployed in Niger in 2012.
Associated Press It conducts mapping pro-
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — grams and other projects
Armed forces from Niger in camps hosting displaced
and France have been de- populations.
ployed to pursue the gun- French Foreign Affairs min-
men who killed seven aid ister Jean-Yves Le Drian
workers, mostly French citi- condemned the attack on
zens, and a leading guide Monday, saying that those
in a Niger giraffe park con- responsible "will have to an-
sidered one of the safer swer for their acts."
places in the vast West Af- The French government
rican country. has warned citizens against
The group had been on traveling outside Niger's
a day of sightseeing Sun- capital, Niamey, as mili-
day when they were at- tants linked to Boko Haram,
tacked just before noon, Islamic State and al-Qaida
according to one of the carry out attacks across
aid groups they worked for, the vast West African na-
Paris-based NGO ACTED. tion. Niger borders several
An ambulance sent by the countries including Mali,
French military stationed Burkina Faso, Chad, Nige-
in Niger found the bod- ria and Libya. Violence by
ies later in the day in their Frederic de Saint-Sernin, vice-CEO of non governmental organization ACTED, answers reporters in rebels linked to the IS group
burned-out vehicle in the Paris, Monday Aug.10, 2020 in Paris. and al-Qaida is on the rise
giraffe reserve in Koure, the Associated Press in the Sahel region. France
group said. force the troops on the 70 kilometers (45 miles) ment. has deployed 5,100 soldiers
The victims were six French ground." southeast of the capital. Niger President Issoufou to help fight the growing
citizens and one Nigerien French prosecutors said in The NGOs condemned Mahamadou also con- insurgency there, and a lo-
working for ACTED and a statement Monday they "in the strongest terms the demned the killings in a cal Sahel force made up
Geneva-based IMPACT opened an investigation senseless and barbaric kill- post on Twitter. of soldiers from Mali, Niger,
Initiatives. The other victim for "murders in relation to a ing of our colleagues and "I condemn the cowardly Burkina Faso, Chad and
was their Nigerien guide, terrorist undertaking." their guide." and barbaric terrorist at- Mauritania has also been
who was the president of The governor of the Tillaberi "Our colleagues have tack perpetrated this Sun- fighting the extremists.
the guides at the park. Four region where the attack been working to support day in the peaceful town ACTED said that it is now
of the French aid workers took place, said he was the people of Niger facing of Koure," he wrote, ex- barring its staff across Ni-
were women, two men, surprised by this "cowardly hardship, driven by values tending condolences to ger, Chad, Mali and Burki-
and all were between the attack and assassination" of humanity and solidarity," the families of the victims na Faso from leaving their
ages of 25 and 50, accord- against foreign tourists. the NGOs said. and to the French presi- zones as a result of the at-
ing to ACTED. "This area has always been The Association of Giraffe dent, adding that France's tack.The group insisted
Niger's Interior Minister Al- a peaceful and secure Guides of Koure also re- "commitment to our side in that it had taken necessary
kache Alhada said Mon- place, we really want to leased a statement con- the fight against terrorism is security measures, requir-
day that the area around know what happened," demning the death of the unwavering." ing clearance three days
Koure has been cordoned Governor Tidjani Katiella president of their associa- One of the biggest French ahead of time for their
off by Niger's army and said. tion, Kadri Abdou. NGOs, ACTED has been staff to travel within Niger.
French soldiers from Opera- Hundreds of people each "We are deeply saddened present in Niger since 2010 ACTED co-founder Marie-
tion Barkhane. year visit the protected and thinking of the victims and provides aid to dis- Pierre Caley said it was the
"We have deployed the national park in Koure that and their families to whom placed people and local first such attack in the area
army and intelligence ser- that contains among the we offer our most sincere populations who are par- of the giraffe park, and
vices to identify and neu- only remaining West Afri- condolences and espe- ticularly vulnerable due to described it as much safer
tralize the assassins," he can giraffes in the world, cially to the family of Kadri, conflicts in the region, lack than other areas in Niger
said. "We have also de- who live amid dense veg- our friend. May he rest in of food and droughts. where the group's staffers
ployed air cover to rein- etation and tall trees about peace," said the state- A partner to ACTED, IM- work.q

German far-right leader welcomes U.S. troop withdrawal

BERLIN (AP) — The leader of Ger- clear warheads from German soil. broadcast Sunday. on Russia over its 2014 annexation
many's biggest far-right party has The Trump administration intends He added the withdrawal of U.S. of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.
welcomed U.S. President Don- to bring about 6,400 American troops "can be a signal toward Alternative for Germany entered
ald Trump's decision to withdraw troops home from Germany and Russia." the national parliament for the
thousands of American troops shift about 5,600 to other coun- His comments echo those of Ger- first time in 2017, coming third
from the European Union country. tries in Europe. The plan, which many's ex-communist Left party, with 12.6% of the vote. The party
Trump has linked to Berlin's fail- which has praised the U.S. move. has recently lost traction in opin-
Tino Chrupalla, the co-chairman ure to spend enough on its own Both parties have close ties to ion polls amid infighting over sus-
of Alternative for Germany, told military, foresees leaving about Moscow, which considers the pected extremist links among
public broadcaster ZDF the move 24,000 troops in Germany. presence of U.S. troops in Europe some of its members and a surge
was in line with his party's pro- "In my opinion this even makes Eu- an affront to its interests. in support for German Chancellor
gram, which seeks the removal rope a bit more peaceful," Chru- Chrupalla said he also favors lift- Angela Merkel's handling of the
of Allied troops and American nu- palla said in the ZDF interview ing economic sanctions imposed coronavirus pandemic.q