Mohamed Bazoum

Unmatched attacks on villages and settlements in western Niger have left more than 200 dead in six days. This violence has not been claimed, but it bears the hallmark of the Islamic State group in the Greater Sahara, the only large jihadist group in this area that is well enough organized to carry out attacks of this size. Since the beginning of the year, four attacks have been directed at civilians in…

Crowds have died in the deadliest suspected terrorist massacre ever to hit Niger, the government said on Monday, underlining the huge security challenge facing new President Mohamed Bazoum. Government spokeswoman Zakaria Abdourahamane said 137 people had been killed in Sunday's raids on villages near Niger's border with Mali. "By systematically targeting civilian populations now, these armed bandits have gone one step further into terror and brutality," Abdourahamane said in a statement read on public…

The election of Mohamed Bazoum to the Nigerian presidency was validated on Sunday, March 21, by the Constitutional Court. The PNDS candidate won by just over ten points ahead of his opponent, Mahamane Ousmane: 55.66% of the vote against 44.34% for his rival. Mahamadou Issoufou's successor is therefore elected for five years.…