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Ex-jihadists who “repented” have successfully been integrated into the Nigerien army after several months of training, military authorities said Monday.
Niger’s junta, which came to power two years ago in a coup, has struggled to contain jihadist violence.
The country faces deadly attacks from Boko Haram in the Lake Chad basin and from groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in the western Tillaberi region.
In the north, where Niger’s military is battling armed groups close to the ousted regime, dozens of fighters have surrendered to authorities.
On Monday, 369 jihadists and “repentant” armed movement fighters completed several months of training near the capital Niamey, according to state television RTN.
They include 307 men, 21 women and 41 children in training since the end of 2024, the interior ministry said in a statement seen by AFP.
“A good number of them have been integrated to serve under the national flag,” while others have received support kits to carry out income-generating activities, RTN said.
Eighty-four people have received kits to set up businesses, according to the interior ministry.
“These men, who were once misguided but have now chosen to renounce violence and reconcile with the Republic, should no longer be regarded as enemies,” said Tillaberi Governor Colonel Maina Boukar.
