'We are at war... we will win God willing' - Niger president

Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou on Tuesday while making a televised speech assured his country that they will win war against terrorist threat.

The president’s pronouncement comes a week after the insurgent attack on a military camp killed 71 soldiers and shocked the country and the wider Sahel region.

“We are at war. We are waging this war, it cannot be repeated enough, for a just cause, the defence of our nation and the integrity of our territory. And that is why we will win it, God willing, whatever time it takes.”

Leaders of the G5 Sahel nations recently held talks in Niamey calling for closer cooperation and international support in the battle against the terrorists.

The Nigerien president stressed: “We have the military means to overcome. We will strengthen them and strengthen our alliances.

“I know that all of our people support our defence and security forces, the defence of the nation and the integrity of the territory is a duty for all of us, civil or military. The government will mobilize not only the material and human resources.”

The attack in the western Tillaberi region was the deadliest on Niger’s military since extremist violence began to spill over from neighbouring Mali in 2015.