About 100 Malian soldiers flee to Niger to escape from Touareg rebels' attacks

Image via Wikipedia

NIAMEY, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- About 100 Malian soldiers are taking refuge in Niger after fleeing from the attacks carried out by the Touareg rebels who are fighting under the banner of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA).

These soldiers entered the Nigerien territory without weapons in company of their families, through the Nigerien military post of Chingor (about 200 km north of Niamey), following an attack on their barracks at Menaka in northern Mali.

On Saturday, Niger's National Defense Minister Karidjo Mahamadou visited these Malian soldiers.

A Nigerien military source said the visit "was meant to boost the morale of our Malian brothers, a few hours before they are returned to their country, in company of their families."

A source from the United Nations bureau for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that about 100,000 families have crossed the Niger-Malian border to take refuge in Niger's Ouallam and Tillabery villages due to the continued fighting in Northern Mali.

Most of them have fled from the Malian localities of Aderboukane and Menaka which have been targeted by MNLA attacks.

Posted in: Mali, Menaka, MNLA, Niamey, Niger, United Nations