Niger bans travel without armed escort in north

[Ulrich]

Please read here:

Reuters - Niger bans travel without armed escort in north

Ulrich

[monkii]

Is northeast Mali to Algeria possible? If not, this puts the tour companies in Algeria out of business.

[Yves]

Hi,
it is possible to enter Algeria from Mali at Bordj Mokthar and Tin Zaouatine.
But NE Mali is not a very safe place either: avoid to enter at Bordj Mokhtar, prefer Tin Zaouatine and don't stay overnight outside settlements between Gao and the border. When traveling in 4x4 hire a guide for your safety.

Algerian tour companies do most business with fly-in tourists so this is barely an issue for them. There will certainly be less transit travels but an increase in 4x4 round trips in the Algerien Sahara is noticable for the comming season.

Yves

[monkii]

Could someone with contacts in Agadez find out what the costs are for joining an armed military convoy? This information would be useful for many of us I believe.

[Ulrich]

See also this:Reuters - Suspected rebels attack Agadez in northern Niger

Ulrich

[Richard Washington]

A bit more action is being reported from N Niger:

The rebel Niger Movement for Justice (MNJ) said it had attacked two army companies in a raid on Tazerzait, a remote settlement around a well near the Algerian and Malian borders, killing 15 soldiers, injuring 43 and taking 72 prisoners.

Seems the MNJ are being pretty systematic.

See more details at:

IOL: Niger rebels kill soldiers in raid

BBC NEWS | Africa | Rebels attack army base in Niger

I wonder if they have any interest in revving S Algeria?

[monkii]

So to be clear, we can all still go to Niger, we just need to tag along with a military escort? The country is not closed down or any other restrictions?

[Tunde]

We planned doing Trans Sahara route (Algeria - Niger) back in Dec 2004 but had to cancel those plans due to what I felt as a first timer were too many political and security uncertainties, instead we did the Western Sahara route which has been my best vacation so far.
We are once again in the final stages of planning to do the Trans Sahara route (Tunisia - Algeria - Niger - Nigeria) end of this year (15th Dec 2007 to 4th Jan 2008) and hope we would not have to call it off again.

[Richard Washington]

Northern Niger is getting pretty hot. Rebels nailed Agadez powerstation last week and reports are coming in regarding some landmine casualties....

IOL: Landmine kills three policemen

Niamey - Four police officers died and three were seriously injured on Monday in northern Niger when their car hit a landmine planted by suspected Tuareg rebels, a military source told AFP.

"Three policemen died on the spot and one succumbed to his injuries later in hospital in Agadez and three others were seriously injured in the blast," the source said.

The Tuaregs, a nomadic Berber people, have resumed a campaign of violence to protest what they say is the non-respect by the Niger government of some of the clauses of a peace agreement signed in 1995.

The insurgency is especially problematic for Niger's President Mamadou Tandja because it is flaring in a region holding uranium mines crucial to the country's economy.

The latest blast takes to 11 the number of security forces killed in similar incidents in the past two months. - Sapa-AFP

[Ulrich]

Where ist the truth? The rebels say, that the four police officers which died, hit a antitankmine which was planted by the army, to protect fromt the rebels.

Read here (in french): Mouvement des Nigeriens pour la Justice,
article
Les ennemis de l'Etat : Tandja, Tchanga, Pelé....

Greetings

Ulrich

[Richard Washington]

meanwhile for us touriste - a landmine is a landmine.
Check out Gerbert's posting on Tchad.....

[Richard Washington]

A few more bits and pieces about the insurgency.

Niamey - Tuareg-led rebels in Niger said late on Tuesday they had killed 15 government soldiers in a clash at Gougaram in the West African country's remote Saharan north, where uranium is mined.

The rebel group, which before the latest reported fighting had already killed at least 44 government troops since February, said a large convoy of military vehicles had advanced towards the town of Iferouane on Monday, prompting Tuesday's clash.

"There was a clash between us and them, and 15 of them were killed and two vehicles destroyed," the rebel Niger Movement for Justice (MNJ) said on its blog Mouvement des Nigeriens pour la Justice.

It said four other vehicles had also been destroyed.

Government officials in the capital Niamey could not confirm the fighting.

The article goes on to say something interesting about mineral rights and prospecting in N Niger....

IOL: Rebels claim killing of 15 government troops

[GD_SPb]

Bad news
/NIGER/ Etat d'Urgence. - occitan-touareg

[donncha]

More news

BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Tuareg conflict spreads to Mali

D