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Niger rebels attack town
12/07/2008 21:19 - (SA)
Niamey - Tuareg-led rebels in Niger have
fired mortars in an attack on the main town in the
uranium-producing north, but authorities said on Saturday there
had been no serious damage or casualties.
The Niger Justice Movement said its fighters launched the
raid on the garrison town of Agadez late on Thursday to counter
government claims the rebels had been weakened by the death of
their deputy commander in battle last month.
"This raid is the prelude to an offensive ... we are going
to launch on Niger's army and the authorities in Niamey," the
rebel group said on Saturday on its website
http://m-n-j.blogspot.com/, urging civilians to move away from
military posts and governmental buildings.
Agadez governor Abba Malam Boukar told Radio France
Internationale (RFI) that the rebels failed in their attack.
"There was some rocket and heavy weapons fire ... but they
failed in this raid on Agadez," Boukar said.
Several shells landed near his residence and the hospital,
but caused no damage, he added.
Nigerian President Mamadou Tandja's government dismisses the
rebels as bandits and smugglers of arms and drugs and has ruled
out talks with them until they first lay down their weapons.
At least 200 rebels and 70 government soldiers have been
killed since the rebellion was launched over a year ago.
Riding the tide of rising uranium prices, Niger is
attracting investors and hopes to become the world's second
largest producer by 2011, largely thanks to new mines being
opened by France's Areva and the China Nuclear International
Uranium Corporation.
The rebels say northerners are not benefiting from their
country's resources. In the past rebels have kidnapped miners
before releasing them unharmed.
- Reuters
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