The kidnapping, which took place on March 7 in Kuriga, a dusty town in northwestern Kaduna State, was the first mass kidnapping in the country since 2021.
Niger is one of several West African countries battling an Islamist insurgency that has spread outwards from Mali over the past 12 years, killing thousands and uprooting millions of people.
The al Qaeda-allied group has been fighting for nearly two decades, aiming to topple Somalia's central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law.
The EU announced a $8.1 billion deal with Egypt to enhance partnership and address migrant flows, but some critics argue it prioritizes countering migration over human rights
Around 287 children were kidnapped from a Nigerian school on March 7 by Islamic State, he noted.
Despite the criticism leveled against Israel by several countries, diplomatic relations, for the most part, remain intact.
The Amhara conflict broke out less than a year after the government reached a peace deal in November 2022 to end a two-year civil war in the neighboring Tigray region that killed tens of thousands.
In light of Iranian activity in the region, African geo-politics, and wars engaging the US, an attack on Iran is perhaps not recommended.
A UN peacekeeper from Ghana was killed amid the violence, the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) said on Sunday.
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