Reuters AlertNet - Niger-Mali Tuareg unrest

Niger-Mali Tuareg unrest

Last reviewed: 03-09-2007

Rebellion in uranium region

There are signs of growing tensions in northern Niger and Mali, the scenes of violent rebellion in the 1990s.
Rebellion in Mali and Niger led by the nomadic Tuareg
Northern Niger is rich in uranium

Niger had the world's lowest Human Development Index in 2005 and 2006. Mali also ranked very low.

Tuareg rebel groups in northern Niger and Mali have long complained of being neglected and marginalised by governments ruling far away in the south.

The rebel Niger Movement for Justice (MNJ) has waged a low-level campaign against the Nigerien government since February 2007, but their attacks have become bolder and there are fears of another major insurgency.

The northern Agadez region is one of the world's largest sources of uranium but, like the rest of Niger, it has high levels of unemployment and chronic food shortages. Government plans to more than double uranium exports in the next four years means that it is determined to crack down on the rebel movement.

Tuareg, Arab and Toubou nomads staged an uprising in Mali and Niger in the 1990s, claiming neglect and marginalisation by their governments. A peace deal signed by a coalition of Tuareg rebel groups in 1995 in Niger pledged more development for the north, strengthened local government and promised the incorporation of thousands of former fighters into the security forces. A similar deal was signed in Mali in 1998, followed by another in 2006.

The MNJ accuses the central government in Niamey of neglecting its promises - a charge the government denies - and says it wants a greater share of the region's mineral wealth.

The rebels have kidnapped government soliders and foreign mining staff. They have also been accused of laying mines in the region of Iferouane to the north of Agadez.

Opposition parties and even part of the ruling coalition have called for dialogue with the MNJ, which established a political wing in July 2007.

But the government has refused to recognise or negotiate with the group, which it dismisses as "bandits". Instead Niger's President Mamadou Tandja has called on neighbouring states in the Sahara to help persuade the Tuareg to lay down their arms. He has threatened to intensify military action if the rebels do not do so.

The combination of rebel activity and general banditry is making life increasingly difficult for the few humanitarian agencies working in the north. In June 2007 the Agadez authorities banned travel between towns without a military escort, and some aid agencies have stopped travelling north or east of Agadez.

In Mali, a Tuareg splinter group led by Ibrahima Bahanga announced in August 2007 that it had formed an alliance with rebels in Niger, and began attacking Malian military targets. The MNJ however denies any such alliance.

As with Niger, the Malian government describes the rebels as drug-traffickers and arms smugglers. It says the rebels use Mali as a base to attack Niger, and vice versa.

The attacks came nearly a year after Mali signed a peace deal with the rebels, seeking greater autonomy for the northern region. The main Tuareg movement says it is still abiding by the peace deal.

A new factor in the region since the 1990s rebellion is the United States' Trans-Sahara Counter-Terrorism Partnership which includes Niger and Mali. As part of the deal, the United States has been training the Nigerien army in counter-terrorism operations.

Niger:
Average life expectancy (2004)	44.6 years (UNDP - Human Development Report 2006)
Under-five child mortality (2005)	256 per 1,000 live births (U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007)
Maternal mortality rate (2000)	1,600 per 100,000 live births (UNDP - Human Development Report 2006)
Percentage of population living below $1 per day (1990-2004)	60.6 (UNDP - Human Development Report 2006)
Mali:
Average life expectancy (2004)	48.1 years (UNDP - Human Development Report 2006)
Under-five child mortality (2005)	218 per 1,000 live births (U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007)
Maternal mortality rate (2000)	1,200 per 100,000 live births (UNDP - Human Development Report 2006)
Percentage of population living below $1 per day (1990-2004)	72.3 (UNDP - Human Development Report 2006)

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