The French troops have yet again encountered protests in Niger which have left some civilians dead and many injured. This protest was the continuation of the protest by the youths in Burkina Faso as they laid siege to the French troops for over a week. This demonstration has been going on for a while in the Sahel.
It was reported that the french convoy after leaving Burkina Faso was headed towards Mali when they were blocked by agitated protesters in Tera in the Tillaberi region, where they spent the night.
In the attempt to free themselves the military made the use of force by shooting, which killed two civilians and injured eighteen more, of which eleven are in serious condition. This is similar to four protesters killed in the city Kaya, Burkina Faso.
The spokesperson for the French army Pascal Ianni, told reporters that the convoy stopped last night in Tera only to be blocked in the morning by very violent protesters who tried to seize the trucks. He also added that the troops had to fire warning shots to douse the tension so they could continue on their journey.
The uproar and violence of the youth in the Sahel is based on the popular perception that the French army is helping jihadists in the region instead of supporting the fight against their activities in the region.
