Niger Opposition Urges France to Extradite Former Tuareg Rebel Leader

The Chairman of the Nigerien Citizen Movement, Nouhou Arzika, on Sunday urged France to extradite former minister and erstwhile Tuareg rebel leader Rhissa Ag Boula. Boula recently declared allegiance to the rebel Movement of Nigeriens for Justice (MNJ), which began fighting the central regime from northern Chad a year ago.

A historical figure of the Tuareg rebellion in the 90s, Ag Boula announced in the 31 January issue of France’s newspaper Nouvel Observateur that “a fresh offensive” would be launched on mines, factories and uranium convoys in northern Niger.

The Movement, which groups civil society bodies, reacted to the comments, saying that France should turn in the Nigeiren leader.

“We vehemently condemn Rhissa Ag Boula’s warlike comments in the French media and we urge the Nigerien authorities to take all the necessary measures so that he is extradited and tried as per his statement,” Arzika said.

The chairman said their movement rules out any form of negotiations with the MNJ rebels, criticizing France for “letting thugs make statements on its territory and announcing war on a sovereign state”.

“All those that - from a foreign country - praise violence as a method of claim must be arrested and punished in accordance with the law,” Arzika said.

“The comments by Ag Boula are unacceptable in a State of the rule of law,” said Laouel Sayabou, who coordinates the network of human rights organizations (RODDHAD).

He argued that “nothing could justify the use of violence as a means for meeting any claims. The authorities should take measures in that direction”.

The RODDAH leader flayed the Niamey authorities’ silence, saying they “fail to communicate while their compatriots, including a prefect, are being detained by the MNJ”.

“We call for the holding of a session of the Republican Council, the organ constitutionally entitled to take measures of paramount importance when national territorial integrity is under threat,” he added.

In an interview with Nouvel Observateur, Ag Boula said “uranium cannot be exploited without us…We will attack uranium mines, including those in Areva, stop factories as well as the tapping of new quarries and deal with the sea-bound cargoes”.

Ab Boula, who founded the Aïr and Azawak Liberation Front (FLAA), served as Tourism and Handicraft minister from 1997 to 2004 before withdrawing from the ruling MNSD to lead UDPS.

FLAA, of which he is the historical leader, was dissolved after the April 1995 peace accords signed with the rebel movements.

Source African Press Agency

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