This update has been compiled by Christer Wilkinson from a variety of sources.

Conflict Group Reports
Readers are reminded that the Crisis Group (www.crisisgroup.org) publishes a detailed monthly report on all rebel attacks and other violent incidents in the three countries covered in this news summary and other countries including Burkina Faso.

Hostages and assassinations
No news on the remaining western hostages.

However, a report was published in www.fides.org by one of the local hostages captured by Boko Harem describing his ordeal.

http://www.fides.org/en/news/69491-AFRICA_NIGER_The_testimony_of_a_Christian_kidnapped_by_jihadists

Corona Virus
At the time of this report the “total cases” Covid figures were: Niger 4,715, Mali 8,256, and Tchad 3,724 cases. Due to different collection criteria these figures are not completely comparable.

Migrant trends
The IOM DTM site reports for all three of the countries are available on the IOM site covering the month of December.

It should be noted that these figures are only for migrants at the monitoring points and migrants who avoid these points are not included. In addition, the accumulation of refugees at remote frontier points such as Assamaka are not included, nor are repatriation convoys or organized rescues.

The figures (estimated where full details are not available) show continuing low migrant traffic across the northern borders.

Niger: Madama: around 130/day northwards to Libya: 50/day back from Libya. Arlit: around 150/day north to Algeria and 50/day back from Algeria (Note: no monitoring at Assamaka)

Mali: Under 40/day north to Algeria and under 10/day southbound from Algeria, summed over all north monitored entry points. Note: no monitoring at Kidal so some of these numbers may be internal migration.

Tchad: Very low crossings to Libya still indicated: about 30/day northbound and 15/day southbound, but again some of these numbers may be internal migration. It should be noted that there is no monitoring station in Bardai.

Mali
The Crisis Group report for Mali in January is sobering, with numerous reports of conflicts all over Mali. Two more French soldiers were killed by landmines this month, and numerous UN and Mali soldiers lost their lives in other conflicts. In addition, numerous intertribal conflicts were reported in mid Mali throughout the month.

Boubou Cisse, the last prime minister under the previous president of Mali, IBK, accused of attempting a coup against the new military-backed rule after the recent coup, is still at home and has not been arrested. Meanwhile the new interim president of the transition, Bah N’Daw made a very low key visit to France.

A helicopter (in one report,and a pair of fighter jets in another report) of the French air force reportedly bombed a wedding party in the village of Bounti in southern Mali early in January mistaking the crowd for terrorists. At least one international agency has called for an investigation. The French have denied the accusation.

Another operation in late January in the far south of the country by French led forces near Niger was claimed to have killed at least 100 jihadists.

There was another demonstration in Bamako protesting the presence of the French troops in Mali.

In the far north of the country, another inter-group conflict has reportedly led to a settlement between rebel groups in the town of Aguelhock.

Niger
The Presidential election continued to dominate the news in Niger this period. The next round is due on 21st February. The two candidates, Mohammed Bazoum and Mahamane Ousmane are campaigning actively and trying to capture the votes from the supporters of the candidates defeated in the first round.

Another US drone crashed near Agadez In January but was not so badly damaged as the one which crashed last year. The US air force secretary Barbara M. Barrett visited Niger in early January.

The leading presidential candidate in the first round of the Presidential elections, Mohammed Bazoum expressed the hope that Niger would soon be able to export electricity. (Generated using its oil perhaps?). No details were available.

Aid from Denmark to people made homeless by the recent floods in Niger arrived and was distributed in mid-January.

The Boko Harem Islamic group has started to lay homemade landmines inside Niger. Four Niger soldiers were killed by this these land mines in January. More details on the attack in late December at Zaroumdareye in south eastern Niger were published. The death toll was confirmed as above 100. But as always reports vary in detail.

A four way interchange on several levels is due to be built in Niamey.

The financial scandal associated with weapons purchases over the last few years in Niger continues. FinCen files released by a local newspaper named two small UK companies through which significant sums were claimed to have been passed.

A Portuguese company has started work on a new rail links between Maradi and Kano, where it will link up to a train to the south of Nigeria and the coast.

The local cellular company MOOV Niger has been reconstituted as MOOV Africa.

Tchad
The Covid epidemic has affected many activities in Tchad. The central court house in N’Djamena for example, is reported quiet. But the restrictions imposed in late December against Covid were partially relaxed during the month.

However, bans on marches and demonstrations in the capital continue. The opposition complains that this does not allow them to campaign effectively for the presidential election this April.

But somethings continue, despite the Covid epidemic. The nomadic tribes people north of the capital typically come south at this time of the year and pass through the capital with their goats and camels. This year was no exception.

Tchad has requested a restructuring of its debt with major overseas public creditors as a result of the Covid epidemic.

A solar power plant was inaugurated in the town of Lai, in the south of the country.

The Tchad human rights commission CNHD has reported increased human trafficking in Tchad, with people being taken to the northern border and sold for some 400 Euros a head in Libya.

The vice president of the Sudan came to visit the Tchad President in mid-March.

Reports of conflicts in the far east on the border with Sudan have appeared in the press. There was one report that indicated that Tchad based fighters had attacked El Geneina city close to the border inside Sudan. The Tchad government denied this but some 2-3000 people were reported to have come into Tchad to avoid the fighting.

In the far south the CAR claimed that Tchad was involved in the fighting near Bangui. After a visit by the President of the national assembly of the CAR to the capital of Tchad N’Djamena to meet the Tchad President, this claim was withdrawn.

In the far north a conflict was reported between Goranes and Zagawas north of Wour. The reports are vague but seem to indicate that some members of the Tchad armed forces on leave attacked some Goranes in Kouri Bougoudi , (near the Libyan border), who fought back.

Fighting between farmers and herders over land use continued in central and southern Tchad. Another offensive by Boko Harem rebels near Lake Tchad caused some 1000 people to move to the mainland from some Lake Tchad islands.

One report indicated that the French presented Tchad with nine light tanks to assist the Tchad army in its fight against Jihadists.

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