Latest news with #Dosso
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Gunmen kill 2 Indians and abduct a third in Niger
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Gunmen killed at least two Indians and abducted a third during an attack in Niger's southwest Dosso region, according to Indian authorities, the latest such violence targeting foreigners in Niger's conflict-battered territories. The Indian Embassy in Niger said in a statement on X on Friday that the attack occurred on Tuesday, and that it was in touch with local authorities to repatriate the bodies of the victims and ensure the safe release of the kidnapped individual. Local media in Niger identified the victims as workers at a construction site in Dosso, located 140 kilometers (87 miles) from the country's capital of Niamey. Foreigners are increasingly becoming targets of armed groups in Niger. Several of them have been kidnapped this year, including an Austrian woman who has lived in Niger as an aid worker for more than 20 years, a Swiss woman seized from her home in April and five Indian workers, also in April. Niger has for many years battled a jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, a security crisis that analysts say has worsened since the military toppled the country's government in July 2023, and has since struggled to restore peace in hot spots. According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, June was one of the country's deadliest months on record as IS-backed fighters launched a major offensive across the Tillaberi and Dosso regions, killing more than 100 civilians in what marked a return to mass atrocities in rural areas. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Gunmen kill 2 Indians and abduct a third in Niger
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Gunmen killed at least two Indians and abducted a third during an attack in Niger's southwest Dosso region, according to Indian authorities, the latest such violence targeting foreigners in Niger's conflict-battered territories. The Indian Embassy in Niger said in a statement on X on Friday that the attack occurred on Tuesday, and that it was in touch with local authorities to repatriate the bodies of the victims and ensure the safe release of the kidnapped individual. Local media in Niger identified the victims as workers at a construction site in Dosso, located 140 kilometers (87 miles) from the country's capital of Niamey. Foreigners are increasingly becoming targets of armed groups in Niger. Several of them have been kidnapped this year, including an Austrian woman who has lived in Niger as an aid worker for more than 20 years, a Swiss woman seized from her home in April and five Indian workers, also in April. Niger has for many years battled a jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, a security crisis that analysts say has worsened since the military toppled the country's government in July 2023, and has since struggled to restore peace in hot spots. According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, June was one of the country's deadliest months on record as IS-backed fighters launched a major offensive across the Tillaberi and Dosso regions, killing more than 100 civilians in what marked a return to mass atrocities in rural areas. The Associated Press Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Associated Press
Gunmen kill 2 Indians and abduct a third in Niger
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Gunmen killed at least two Indians and abducted a third during an attack in Niger's southwest Dosso region, according to Indian authorities, the latest such violence targeting foreigners in Niger's conflict-battered territories. The Indian Embassy in Niger said in a statement on X on Friday that the attack occurred on Tuesday, and that it was in touch with local authorities to repatriate the bodies of the victims and ensure the safe release of the kidnapped individual. Local media in Niger identified the victims as workers at a construction site in Dosso, located 140 kilometers (87 miles) from the country's capital of Niamey. Foreigners are increasingly becoming targets of armed groups in Niger. Several of them have been kidnapped this year, including an Austrian woman who has lived in Niger as an aid worker for more than 20 years, a Swiss woman seized from her home in April and five Indian workers, also in April. Niger has for many years battled a jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, a security crisis that analysts say has worsened since the military toppled the country's government in July 2023, and has since struggled to restore peace in hot spots. According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, June was one of the country's deadliest months on record as IS-backed fighters launched a major offensive across the Tillaberi and Dosso regions, killing more than 100 civilians in what marked a return to mass atrocities in rural areas.
Zawya
5 days ago
- General
- Zawya
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) strengthens the resilience of farming and pastoral communities through mechanical restoration of degraded land
In Niger, farmers and herders lose nearly 100,000 hectares of land every year due to degradation. This situation reduces available space for productive activities and undermines their hopes of achieving food and nutrition sovereignty. Ongoing land degradation is a major contributor to the country's recurring cereal and fodder shortages, exposing farming and pastoral households to repeated food crises. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is supporting Niger in its efforts to build more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems to improve production, nutrition, the environment, and livelihoods, leaving no one behind. Through the Action Against Desertification programme, FAO is working to restore degraded land for agricultural and pastoral use in support of the Great Green Wall (GGW) initiative. This support focuses on land restoration activities, reseeding, plant care, establishing community management committees, training members in association life, management and marketing, benefit-sharing from restored sites, and networking. In total, FAO has helped restore and utilize over 20,000 hectares of land across 55 sites in the regions of Tillabéri, Dosso, and Tahoua. The mechanical land preparation is carried out using a Delfino plough, which can cover more than 15 hectares per day. The machine carves half-moon shapes that enhance rainwater infiltration and retention, up to 1,000 litres per basin, giving trees, shrubs, and forage the best chance of growing and surviving in the early months after planting. The Delfino tractor-plough unit has become a central tool in the collaboration between FAO and the National Agency of the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), enabling large areas to be treated and significantly reducing the need for manual labour. Half-moons are better than those we dig by hand At the Awanchalla site in Bagaroua, Tahoua region, communities expressed their amazement at the Delfino plough, which restored 100 hectares in a very short time in an area where labour has become increasingly scarce. 'Our dream has come true, to see this land recovered by the machine. We had abandoned it for decades because it was unfit for farming or livestock. The work of the Delfino is impressive, fast, and saves us time. The half-moons it creates are better than those we dig by hand,' said Bizo Abarchi, a community member and representative of the village chief. For fellow community member Issa Matto, the restored site offers new opportunities: 'Now that the land is recovered, I no longer need to migrate. I can stay in the village. With FAO's support, we'll grow forage for sale, a highly profitable activity in our pastoral zone. We'll also receive plant seedlings based on our selections, tend to them, and eventually sell the fruits. These activities expand our farming space and give me hope that my life will improve,' he said. To ensure the site is well-managed and sustainable, 'we're determined to give our best,' said Abdoul Moumouni Djimraou, another local. 'We've already set up a management committee. We've thought through the mechanisms for successful land use, marketing, benefit-sharing, working with local authorities, and managing potential conflicts between users and surrounding communities.' Partners with the European Union By promoting the mechanical use of the Delfino plough to restore degraded land at scale, thanks to the European Union funded project 'Knowledge for Action in Implementing the Great Green Wall' (K4GGWA), FAO, together with the EU, national authorities and local communities, is helping to create the conditions for advancing the Great Green Wall in Niger and strengthening the resilience of farming and pastoral communities. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.
Arab News
5 days ago
- Arab News
Indian killed, one abducted in Niger attack: embassy
NIAMEY, Niger: An Indian national was killed and another abducted in what India's embassy termed a 'terrorist' attack in southwestern Niger, while a third is listed as missing, it said in a statement. Local sources said unidentified armed attackers ambushed a Nigerien army unit providing security at a construction site for an electrical line in the Dosso region, around 100 kilometers (63 miles) from the capital Niamey. Urging Indian nationals in Niger to be 'vigilant,' India's embassy in Niamey said it was in contact with the employer and families of the victims as well as the Nigerian government to facilitate repatriation of the dead man's remains. It said it was also working to secure the release of the person abducted in the attack, which took place Tuesday near the Nigerian border. Local sources and social media posts suggested at least one Nigerien soldier was killed in the attack, which authorities had not yet commented on Friday. Niger, under military rule following a 2023 coup, has faced around a decade of violence perpetrated by jihadists affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the Daesh group. The Dosso region borders both Nigeria and Benin, where attacks regularly target civilians, the army and also a giant oil pipeline transporting crude from Niger to Benin. The authorities generally blame such attacks on 'terrorists' or 'bandits.' Dosso borders the western town of Tillaberi near the borders with Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, which has become a stronghold for militant groups. According to official Indian sources, five Indian technicians were kidnapped in an April 25 attack just north of the nearby town of Sakoira. Twelve Nigerien soldiers were killed in that attack. Earlier this month, three Indian nationals working in Mali were kidnapped from a cement factory in the west of the country.
