The Kouré shooting was a

mass shooting There is a lack of consensus on how to define a mass shooting. Most terms define a minimum of three or four victims of gun violence (not including the shooter or in an inner city) in a short period of time, although an Australian study from 200 ...

that occurred in

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagescivilian Civilians under international humanitarian law are "persons who are not members of the armed forces" and they are not "combatants if they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war". It is slightly different from a non-combatant, b ...

s dead, six French and two Nigeriens. The attack took place in Kouré, a rural community in

Tillabéri Region Tillabéri (var. ''Tillabéry'') is one of the eight Regions of Niger; the capital of the Region is Tillabéri. Tillabéri Region was created in 1992, when Niamey Region was split, with Niamey and its immediate hinterland becoming a new ''capital ...

Background

Tillabéri Region, which is in the west of Niger and borders

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...

and

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the ...

, is largely unstable and has been used as a hideout by various Sahel jihadist groups including the

Islamic State in the Greater Sahara The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (IS-GS) is a terrorist group adhering to the ideology of Salafi Jihadism. IS-GS was formed on 15 May 2015 as the result of a split within the militant group Al-Mourabitoun. The rift was a reaction to the adh ...

(ISGS). Since 2018, these terrorist groups have spread throughout the Sahel region, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of military personnel and civilians in sporadic attacks. As a result of the attacks, the region has seen extensive developments in security, such as the construction of a new U.S. airbase. In an effort to combat the terrorists, the

Nigerien government The government of Niger is the apparatus through which authority functions and is exercised: the governing apparatus of Nigerien state. The current system of governance, since the Constitution of 25 November 2010, is termed the Seventh Republic ...

also restricted the use of motorcycles in January 2019. Despite this, parts of Tillaberi and Tahoua Regions remain under a

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

and the

French government The Government of France ( French: ''Gouvernement français''), officially the Government of the French Republic (''Gouvernement de la République française'' ), exercises executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister, who ...

warns people against visiting vast areas of Niger.

Shooting

The shooting occurred around 11:30am (10:30 GMT) six kilometres (four miles) east of the town of Kouré,

Kollo Department Kollo is a department of the Tillabéri Region in Niger. Its capital lies at the city of Kollo, and includes the towns of N'Dounga, Fakara, Hamdallaye, Karma, Kirtachi Kirtachi is a village and rural commune in Niger ) , official_la ...

, Tillabéri Region, where a

wildlife park A safari park, sometimes known as a wildlife park, is a zoo-like commercial drive-in tourist attraction where visitors can drive their own vehicles or ride in vehicles provided by the facility to observe freely roaming animals. A safari park ...

is located. The region is visited by tourists and purportedly hosts the last

West African giraffe The West African giraffe (''Giraffa camelopardalis peralta''), Niger giraffe or Nigerien giraffe is a subspecies of the giraffe distinguished by its light colored spots. It is found in the Sahel of West Africa. In the 19th century it ranged fr ...

s. Eight people were killed in the attack. The victims were identified as two Nigeriens, of whom one was the president of the guides at the park while the other was the driver of the group, both aged 50; the other six were French citizens, all of whom aid workers aged between 25 and 30. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. Seven of the victims were shot dead, while the French woman who initially escaped was later kidnapped and murdered; an empty

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

was found at the scene. "They he attackerscame on motorcycles through the bush and waited for the arrival of the tourists" said the governor.

References

2020 mass shootings in Africa 2020 murders in Niger 21st-century mass murder in Africa August 2020 crimes in Africa Mass murder in 2020 Mass murder in Niger Terrorist incidents in Niger in 2020 Terrorist incidents in Niger Tillabéri Region {{terrorism-stub

Background

Shooting

See also

References