The president of Niger, Mamadou Tandja, has granted amnesty to Tuareg rebels who have recently laid down their weapons after two years of fighting in the northern region of Agadez.
Speaking in an address to the nation, the Nigerien leader hailed the gesture of his “brothers who agreed to lay down their weapons (…) which will help strengthen the 6th Republic.
“It’s time for forgiveness. I therefore deemed it appropriate to grant an amnesty to our brothers who have laid down their arms,” he said.
The historical faction of the Tuareg uprising in Niger, the Niger Justice Movement (MNJ), laid down arms on the sidelines of a ceremony in the Libyan city of Sabha in the presence of mediator Muammar Qaddafi.
Some 3,000 combatants renounced the armed struggle, accepting the Libyan offer to lend a hand in their reintegration.
Created in 2007, the MNJ was shaken in recent months by a leadership crisis, which caused the announcement in September of the dismissal of its historic leader Aghali Alambo Ag who continues to claim the presidency of the movement.
Rebels of the Niger Patriotic Front (NPF) also surrendered since last weekend in Agadez, ending two years of armed struggle in this uranium-rich part of the country.
Only the Recovery Front Forces (FFR) of Rhissa Ag Boula has refused to disarm.
“The FFR will not travel to Tripoli or to Agadez to disarm in this way,” Ag Boula had said in a statement posted on the movement’s website.
The Agadez region has several foreign companies for its uranium. Since February 2007, the region is facing an armed rebellion led by Tuaregs who are demanding better conditions for the population of northern Niger.
In May in Agadez, President Mamadou Tandja met Tuareg rebel leaders for the first time on the eve of the launch of French group Areva’s uranium site (Imourararen Arlit district) with an annual production of 5,000 tonnes.
The rebel delegation mainly comprised representatives of the three fronts in the north i.e. the MNJ, Niger Patriotic Front (NPF) and the FFR.
Niamey has officially begun meetings with rebel factions in April when the Interior Minister who led a strong delegation to Libya said that the Tuareg rebels agreed to disarm and participate in peace negotiations.
Source African Press Agency
