Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated on Sept. 10 that the armed group Islamic State in the Sahel Province (IS Sahel) is escalating attacks on civilians, reporting that since March the group has illegally executed 127 people in western Niger.

HRW documented five armed attacks by the group in Tillabéri region of western Niger during that time frame, with the group killing 70 worshipers at a mosque in a mass execution in June. HRW reported that a woman who lost three sons in the massacre said there were "bodies everywhere, one on top of the other."

On May 13, IS Sahel attacked villages and burned "at least a dozen homes," the report found. A herder is said to have found two children dead from gunshot. Despite no group claiming responsibility for these attacks, eyewitnesses insist that IS Sahel was the perpetrator. HRW stated that these attacks constitute war crimes and direct violations of human rights.

IS Sahel and Niger's military junta have both faced mounting scrutiny and criticism from international onlookers. Ilaria Allegrozzi, a senior researcher at HRW, urged, "Nigerian authorities need to do more to protect people living in the Tillabéri region."

The military junta has been in power since staging a coup against then-president Mohamed Bezoum on July 26, 2023. Since the junta took power, approximately 1,600 civilian deaths have been recorded. Pressure is increasing on the junta to mitigate further attacks, with Niger turning to countries such as Turkey and Russia for aid against IS Sahel and other insurgent groups.

The UN has condemned the insurgent violence, describing the actions of IS Sahel as violations of international humanitarian law. The Security Council in August released a comprehensive forecast of the Sahel region aimed at organizing an international response. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk described IS Sahel’s attacks as “in stark violation of international human rights law and humanitarian law,” particularly under Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions.

From JURIST, Sept. 11. Used with permission. Internal links added.