According to media reports about one hundred people have been killed in two villages in Niger apparently by terrorists. The attacks on the two villages of Tchoma Bangou and Zaroumadareye occurred on Saturday just as the first-round of the presidential election results was announced. The two villages are 120km (75 miles) north of the capital, Niamey dozens have been wounded in the attacks.
The claims are that the attack was carried out at midday, at the same moment the results of the first round of legislative and presidential election were announced. Election officials announced that the ruling party candidate and former minister Mohamed Bazoum won the first round of Niger’s presidential vote, which was held the previous weekend.
To take the conversation further as we close off the month we talk to:
• Dr Olayinka Ajala is an associate lecturer at the University of York
• Dr Manu Lekunze is a lecturer at the University of Aberdeen
• David Otto, an International, Security and Defence specialist