InfoMigrants By ANSA Published on : 2021/06/04
During Luigi Di Maio s visit to Niger this week, the Italian foreign minister and his Nigerien colleague Hassoumi Massoudou signed a joint declaration, saying they want to strengthen their cooperation on migration issues.
More collaboration on migration issues was one of the topics at the center of talks held by Italian foreign minister Luigi Di Maio during his visit to Niamey, the capital of Niger, on Wednesday (June 2).
The visit to Niger was Di Maio s second visit to sub-Saharan Africa in recent months, after a visit to Mali s Bamako in April. The Italian foreign ministry said in a statement that these visits were part of the framework of priorities that all of Africa has for Italy, as evinced by the special attention that will be devoted to the African continent by the Italian presidency of the G20.
Continuity vs. change in Niger
The two candidates vying to replace Issoufou are political stalwarts in the West African nation, which is one of the poorest in the world.
Mohamed Bazoum, Issoufou s right-hand, is widely seen as the favorite after winning 39.3% of the vote in the first round. He has vowed to continue Issoufou s policies, with a focus on security and revamping the economy. He has the backing of the candidates who came third and fourth in the first round.
Mahamane Ousmane, was Niger s first democratically elected president in 1993 until he was toppled in a coup three years later. He won 17% of the votes in the first round and has the endorsement of about a dozen smaller parties and candidates. He has vowed to implement change and tackle corruption.
ANKARA At least 56 civilians were killed Saturday after terrorists attacked two villages in southwestern Niger, a government official said. The incident,