The Nigerien's Movement for Justice (

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

: ''Mouvement des Nigériens pour la justice'', MNJ) is a largely ethnic

Tuareg The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym, depending on variety: ''Imuhaɣ'', ''Imušaɣ'', ''Imašeɣăn'' or ''Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group, traditionally nomadic pastoralists, who principally inhabit th ...

militant The English word ''militant'' is both an adjective and a noun, and it is generally used to mean vigorously active, combative and/or aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in "militant reformers". It comes from the 15th century Lat ...

group based in northern

Niger Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...

. However the group also includes other nomadic ethnicities within this area, such as the

Toubou The Toubou or Tubu (from Old Tebu, meaning "rock people") are an ethnic group native to the Tibesti Mountains that inhabit the central Sahara in northern Chad, southern Libya, northeastern Niger, and northwestern Sudan. They live either as her ...

and the

Fulani The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people are an ethnic group in Sahara, Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. Inhabiting many countries, they live mainly in West Africa and northern parts of Central Africa, South Sudan, Darfur, ...

. These groups have been battling the Niger government since 2007. The MNJ wants a greater share of the revenues from northern Niger's uranium wealth to be invested in the region. Niger is one of the top five

uranium Uranium is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Ura ...

producers in the world. It is also one of the bottom five poorest countries on earth. The MNJ also want a restriction of the area that will be affected by the expansion of the uranium mines, to protect the space they need to raise their animals. The Niger government has dismissed the MNJ as "bandits" and "drug-smugglers", and turned the northern half of the country into a closed military zone under curfew and military law suspending certain freedoms. Journalists are strictly prohibited from covering the rebellion.

Events

MNJ has claimed a series of attacks on the Nigerien Military and foreign economic interests since February 2007. The organization has taken responsibility for attacks which have killed 45 people and seized several Nigerien soldiers. In 2008, the MNJ claimed to have some 3,500 fighters, many of them

defectors In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state in exchange for allegiance to another, changing sides in a way which is considered illegitimate by the first state. More broadly, defection involves abandoning a person, ca ...

from the Nigerien military. In June 2007, the MNJ attacked northern Niger's main airport at

Agadez Agadez ( Air Tamajeq: ⴰⴶⴰⴷⴰⵣ, ''Agadaz''), formerly spelled Agadès, is the fifth largest city in Niger, with a population of 110,497 based on the 2012 census. The capital of the eponymous Agadez Region, the city lies in the Sahara ...

and overran an army outpost in the Aïr Mountains taking over 70 Nigerien soldiers prisoner. On 6 July 2007, the MNJ kidnapped a

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

nuclear engineer working for China Nuclear Engineering and Construction Corps, holding him for about 10 days until releasing him to the Red Cross. The company had been prospecting for

for some time in Teguidan Tessoumt in cooperation with the Niger government, and MNJ wanted them to cease their operations. On 22 June 2008, the MNJ kidnapped four employees of Areva, the French state nuclear corporation which has been exploiting northern Niger's uranium for over forty years. The French nationals were released to the Red Cross three days later.

Leaders

The MNJ is led by Aghaly ag Alambo, a former member of the ''

Front de libération de l'Aïr et de l'Azawagh Front may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Front'' (1943 film), a 1943 Soviet drama film * '' The Front'', 1976 film Music *The Front (band), an American rock band signed to Columbia Records and active in the 1980s and e ...

'' (FLAA), and Mohamed Acharif, a former captain in the

Nigerien Armed Forces The Niger Armed Forces (, FAN) includes military armed force service branches (Niger Army and Niger Air Force), paramilitary services branches ( National Gendarmerie of Niger and National Guard of Niger) and the National Police of Niger. The ...

who defected to the rebels in May 2007. Aghaly Alambo, from

Iferouane Iferouane (), also spelled Iferouan, is an oasis town and commune in northern Niger, in Agadez Department. It is located northeast of Arlit in the northern Aïr, in the Ighazar valley near the Tamgak Range. Iferouane is also the location of ...

in northern Niger, was apparently inspired by the

Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...

based Tuareg group ''

May 23, 2006 Democratic Alliance for Change The May 23, 2006 Democratic Alliance for Change (; Abbreviation, abbreviated ADC) is a Malian Tuareg people, Tuareg rebel group, formed in 2006 by ex-combatants from the Tuareg Rebellion (1990–1995), 1990s Tuareg insurgency in Mali. In 2007, spl ...

'' (''Mai 23, 2006 Alliance démocratique pour le changement - ADC)'', ex-combatants who led a short campaign in the north of Mali from May to July 2006, when they signed a peace deal with the

Bamako Bamako is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2022 population of 4,227,569. It is located on the Niger River, near the rapids that divide the upper and middle Niger valleys in the southwestern part of the country. Bamak ...

government.Jusqu?où ira la rébellion?
Jeune Afrique: 15 July 2007. In late March 2008, the ADC restarted its armed uprising against the Mali government.

References

{{reflist * 6. (Italian) Parla Aghaly Alambo

Cristiano Tinazzi, Left: 12 ottobre 2007
Al Jazeera English Special Coverage Page: Unrest in the SaharaThe Niger Movement for Justice (Mouvement des Nigériens pour la justice, MNJ) Press site
: three to ten communiqués a week have been posted since April 2007

External links

IRIN - humanitarian news and analysis with frequent reports on the situation in northern Niger
* (French
The Niger Movement for Justice (Mouvement des Nigériens pour la justice, MNJ) Press site
: three to ten communiqués a week have been posted since April 2007
Reputed press site of the '' ALLIANCE TOUAREGUE NIGER-MALI''
created 31 August 2007

Rebel groups in Niger Guerrilla organizations

Niger Movement for Justice The Nigerien's Movement for Justice (French language, French: ''Mouvement des Nigériens pour la justice'', MNJ) is a largely ethnic Tuareg people, Tuareg militant group based in northern Niger. However the group also includes other nomadic ethni ...

2000s in Niger Organizations established in 2007 2007 establishments in Niger

Events

Leaders

See also

References

External links