CIVILIANS FACING INSECURITY IN NIGER’S TILLABÉRI REGION

Civilians interviewed by CIVIC noted an improvement in security in 2022 illustrated by Despite the temporary the reopening of markets and the return of some internally displaced persons (IDPs) to villages reduction in civilian and farms in the region.4 This improvement in the casualties, the drastic shift security situation and a relative return to “normal life” are mainly due to four factors.5 in. [...] RECOMMENDATIONS To the government of Niger and its SDF: Prevent and combat acts of predation or physical violence against civilians and their property caused by the AOGs and armed bandits by: • Accelerating the planned recruitment of new SDF personnel in the next two years as a priority to make up for the shortage of security and defense personnel on the ground; • Deploying more SDF in the Tillabé. [...] The humanitarian actors and the government of Niger should: Improve protection and assistance efforts to populations in need—IDPs, refugees, returnees, civilians who stayed back in the villages and at-risk communities—by: • Raising the awareness of local authorities, state technical services, and partners on the effective compliance with law 2018-74 on the protection and assistance of IDPs in Nige. [...] With the emergence of the insecurity and conflict linked to AOG activities in the country, the National Police and Gendarmerie have increasingly been deployed to fight alongside the Niger Armed Forces and the GNN. [...] As a response to AOG attacks in Tillabéri bordering the Mali and Burkina Faso borders, the SDF were deployed from 2017 in those areas to conduct military operations in order to “chase the AOG members”.50 The military intervention was jointly conducted by the Niger SDF, the French Operation Barkhane and the Malian armed groups—the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA), primarily composed of Da.