Niger preparing to crackdown on Boko Haram
Boko Haram works to destabilize the Lake Chad region by carrying out violent operations against civilians and military personnel.
This made it necessary for the authorities in Niger to take
a series of decisions.
The army of Niger intends to establish an airbase to
strengthen its fight against terrorist groups in Diffa region, in the
southeastern part of the country, near the border with Nigeria.
The cabinet of Niger said in a statement on August 6 that the
government considers establishing an airbase to beef up the response capacity
of the armed forces in the region.
PA501 base
The PA501 base will be built on an area of 32 square kilometers in the Diffa region. It will be adjacent
to Lake Chad which has turned into a major hideout for terrorists.
Nevertheless, the cabinet of Niger had not specified the
date for establishing the base or the cost of the project.
This will be Niger's first base in this landlocked and arid
region which has been suffering for six years now against the background of
attacks by ISIS and Boko Haram.
The announcement of the cabinet of Niger comes after a
terrorist attack was carried out by Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region on
August 5.
The attack left 26 Chadian soldiers at least dead and many
others injured.
Security personnel were returning from a patrol and having
some rest when they were attacked by Boko Haram militants, the deputy governor of
Baga Sola region said.
He added that the authorities had immediately decided to
deploy a number of troops throughout the region.
Diffa
Diffa shares borders with Chad and Nigeria. It covers 140,000
square kilometers of land and has a population of 200,000. Most of the members
of this population are Muslims and tribesmen with Arab origins.
The region is rich in oil. Most of Niger's oil production
comes out of it. Niger has a large mining wealth, most notably uranium, gold,
and petroleum, in addition to its fertile arable land.
Despite this natural wealth, Niger is one of the poorest
countries in the world. It also suffers sectarian and ethnic tensions.
