https://allafrica.com/stories/202101030167.html
The Niger government reported that more than 50 people have been killed near the boarder with Mali. Suspected militants invaded the two villages of of Tchombangou and Zaroumdareye in Western Nigeria late on Saturday, killing at least 56 civilians and wounding another 20. They suspect this was a terror attack coming as a result of an election that was held last week. The votes from the election had put the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism in the lead although a runoff poll will need to happen in February because the country’s ruling party candidate didn’t get enough votes in the first round.
This just adds to Niger’s list of complications as their civilians suffer from poverty and their geographic location is constantly challenging their success in agriculture. Not to mention Niger is already a economically challenged country with widespread poverty found among their civilians and more economic obstacles that have formed due to the corona virus. All these issues were already keeping Niger busy, now this issue of safety for their own citizens in their country will just make it more difficult for the government. Similar events occurred last year in Niger at the border with Mali where hundreds of people were killed. The citizens of Niger need safety and reassurance and the Government is going to have to step up and fulfill that in order or their country to start rebuilding.
In class we talked about the liberal and realist perspectives and gave examples. You could look at this issue in a realist perspective from neighboring countries such as Nigeria, Mali, Libya etc. In a realist perspective those close countries have no interest in helping Niger with the conflicts in their country because helping Niger wouldn’t benefit them as much as maybe helping another country with better resources or more power. Those countries also have issues of their own, so they would act in their own self interest first to fix those and then look to what would benefit them in the future before reaching to help Niger.