VOA news reported on 12 July 2021 that five civilians, four soldiers and forty armed attackers were killed on 11 July 2021 in a clash in Niger"s southwest region near the border with Mali. Around 100
militants on motorcycles attacked Tchoma Bangou village but were repelled by swift action by the security forces.
World Watch Research analyst Yonas Dembele comments: "The Nigerien government continues to battle against jihadist insurgencies on its southwestern border with Mali, as well as against Boko Haram on its southeastern border with Nigeria. Tchoma Bangou village is in the Tillaberi region, an area where the majority of Niger"s Christian population is located. In an effort to address the violence, the government has put in place a number of measures, including putting the region under a state of emergency since 2017. However, as stated in the VOA article, violence continuous unabated: It was only in January 2021 that 70 civilians were killed by militants in Tchoma Bangou and 30 in the neighbouring village of Zaroumadareye. Also in June 2021, officials reported that 19 people were killed in villages in the same commune. Most of these attacks have been carried out by the militants in the same manner - usually on motorbikes. While there are no indications that Christians are specifically targeted in these attacks, they are still affected by the insecurity as the militant groups" goal is to establish an Islamic caliphate."
