In the spotlight: investigation into a massacre

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A sign indicates the entrance to the office of the French NGO Acted in Niamey, Niger. AFP / Boureima Hama

By: Frédéric Couteau Follow

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This is the headline of the Parisian which returns in detail this morning on the drama of Kouré in Niger which claimed the lives of six French humanitarian workers on Sunday and their two Nigerien guides.

The Parisian who puts names on the six French victims. Four women and two men. “  They were called Charline, Nadifa, Myriam and Stella. The boys were named Léo and Antonin. They were between 25 and 35 years old. Six young French people, most of them with diplomas and embarked on a common adventure in Niamey in Niger, under the banner of the humanitarian organization Acted.  "

Le Parisien reviews the journey of these young people who had decided to devote themselves to the most disadvantaged.

Charline, 30 years old, doctor in management and professor. She had been in post for two years at the French Embassy in Nigeria, before being recently hired by Acted.

Nadia, in her thirties, holder of several masters in law and management. She was preparing a thesis on the arms trade.

Stella, of Montpellier origin, who had found her way in humanitarianism after studying marketing.

Myriam, who had already worked for the French NGO for more than two years. Graduated from a master's degree focusing on the construction of peace processes and the understanding of conflicts.

Léo, 25, the youngest of the gang. He had been in charge of logistics for Acted in Niamey since April, after having been an intern at the NGO's headquarters in Paris for four months. He had just graduated from a business school in Rennes.

Finally, Antonin, normalien, specialist in statistics and finance.

Premeditated or opportunistic attack ?

According to a Nigerian source, cited by Liberation , these French expatriates had mostly arrived in the country very recently, no more than three weeks before: after their two weeks of confinement, they wanted to take a tourist walk in Kouré to see the giraffes. .

So what happened, asks Libé , did they fall into an ambush? Local sources defended this thesis yesterday : the Kouré park had never been the scene of such an attack, but the modus operandi of the attackers, who came on motorbikes, who immediately shot at the car of the humanitarian workers, suggests an attack planned targeting Westerners. Were they informed of this trip ? Had they just spotted the 4x4 bearing the logo of the NGO Acted on the road to Kouré ?  "

Conversely, continues Liberation , "  the Sahel specialist Ibrahim Maïga considers that the assault was not premeditated : " In view of the first elements, the attack, which was botched, seems to be an opportunistic operation ", indicates the researcher, who points out that a prepared operation would have resulted in the taking of hostages of French nationals, a "popular bargaining chip" by jihadist groups in the Sahelian strip.  "

NGOs present in Niger are wondering

Anyway, the impact for NGOs working in Niger will be "  very significant  ", points out Le Figaro .  The humanitarian community in Niger is urgently reassessing all procedures. The attack occurred near a busy road, the National 1, which connects Niamey to Dosso then Maradi and was until now considered relatively safe. "It is a route that we often take. It is obvious that this attack will further reduce our mobility and limit our action", underlines Pierre Mendiharat, deputy director of operations at Médecins sans frontières. For him, as for several heads of NGOs operating in Niger, this shows "the deterioration of the situation in the Sahel" . While the number of people in need of emergency aid continues to grow, especially in Niger but especially in Burkina Faso, the complexity and danger are increasing , continues Le Figaro . Last June, the Islamic State in West Africa Province, a branch of Boko Haram, threatened itself. In a message, the organization, which is ravaging northwestern Nigeria, hinted that it was going to attack all international NGOs. If the links between Boko Haram and the Sahelian movements are only tenuous, the Kouré massacre , concludes Le Figaro, could be the sign of this new doctrine.  "

Prime targets

“  This odious attack reminds us that the entire Sahel area is risky ,” notes La Croix, “but also that humanitarian workers are choosing to remain present with populations in great vulnerability. The fight against terrorism is not just military , says La Croix. It also involves NGOs which work to improve the living conditions of individuals and communities. This does not suit the jihadist groups for whom the chaos constitutes both a business and a recruitment lever. This is why humanitarian workers and their companions are prime targets. The NGOs know it , again points out the Catholic daily: by the nature of the missions and the theaters of intervention, there is no mission without danger. Humanitarian work, which most often takes place in contexts of violence and institutional instability, is always exposed to risks that all precautions can never completely eradicate. Assuming this share of risk alongside the local populations is also what makes the commitment to humanitarian work so great.  "

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