Niger’s military rulers have approved a general mobilisation and the requisition of people and goods to fight a long-running jihadist insurgency, according to a government statement seen by AFP Saturday.
Since toppling democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum in a July 2023 coup, the military junta in Niger has been forced to contend with attacks from Islamist militants on multiple fronts.
The country’s new rulers adopted the mobilisation and requisition measures at a cabinet meeting on Friday.
“People, property, and services may be requisitioned during general mobilisation to contribute to the defence of the homeland, in compliance with the legislation and regulations in force,” said a government statement after the meeting.
“Every citizen is required to respond immediately to any call-up or recall order, to comply without delay with the implementation of measures for the defense of the homeland, and to submit to requisition,” it added.
The measures were required by the need to “preserve the integrity of the national territory” and “protect the population”, said the statement.
The country has been fighting a deadly jihadist insurgency for a decade now, waged by fighters from Al-Qaeda and Islamic Jihad which has left nearly 2,000 people dead, according to ACLED, an NGO that monitors conflicts.
Niger’s southeast has also been targeted by Boko Haram and rival militant group ISWAP.
Niger’s mobilisation plan comes five years after the country doubled the size of its military to 50,000 troops, and raised the retirement age for ranking officers to 52 years from 47.
The government has also been urging citizens to make “voluntary” contributions to a fund started in 2023 that helps pay for military hardware and agricultural projects.
Soon after taking power, the junta asked French and US soldiers who had been fighting jihadists, notably in the west of the country, to leave Niger.
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso — all three run by military juntas — have created a joint anti-jihadist force of 5,000 troops.
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© Agence France-Presse
