REPUBLIC OF NIGER

Mainly covers the period June 1998 to April 2001 as well as including some earlier information.

  • Population:
    – total: 10,400,000
    – under-18s: 5,698,000
  • Government armed forces:
    – active: 5,300
    – paramilitary: 5,400
  • Compulsory recruitment age: 18
  • Voluntary recruitment age: unknown
  • Voting age (government elections): 18
  • Child soldiers: unknown
  • CRC-OP-CAC: not signed
  • Other treaties ratified: ACRWC; CRC; GC/API+II; ILO 138; ILO 182
  • It is not known if there are any under-18s in government armed forces due to lack of information about minimum voluntary recruitment age. No evidence has emerged regarding the use of children as soldiers in Niger currently.

CONTEXT

Opposition against the Government was mounted by the Front de libération de l'Aïr et de l'Azawak (FLAA), out of which a number of separate armed groups emerged. An agreement was signed in April 1995 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso by the Government and insurgents from the North – Organisation de la Résistance Armée. In November 1997 a second agreement was signed between the government, Union des Forces de la Résistance Armée (UFRA) and the Forces Armées Révolutionnaires du Sahara (FARS). A third agreement was signed in August 1998 by the Government and the last opposition group, the Front Démocratique du Renouveau (FDR). Between 1997 and the end of 1998, 5,000 combatants were gathered for reintegration into society or the national army.1359 The peace process was fragile, however, and in April 1999 President Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara was killed by members of his presidential guard. In November Mamadou Tandja, leader of the Mouvement national pour la societé de développement, was elected president. Niger also contributes troops to ECOWAS peace monitoring missions, and has sent troops to Guinea-Bissau,1360 Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia1361

GOVERNMENT

National Recruitment Legislation and Practice

Niger has selective conscription which lasts 24 months.1362 The minimum age for recruitment is 18.1363 Military service for women is not allowed but national service is mandatory for all young women who have completed university studies or professional training. Women may serve as teachers, health service workers, or technical specialists from between 18 months to two years.1364

No information is available regarding recruitment practice, in particular voluntary recruitment. However, there is no evidence to indicate the presence of child soldiers in Niger's armed forces.

DEVELOPMENTS

Demobilisation

The various opposition groups have been in a process of demobilisation and reintegration. In March 2000 the UN began a two year training and reintegration programme for former combatants.1365 In June a camp for ex-fighters from three armed groups was formed and the final stages of disarmament and the integration of anti-government forces into the national armed forces began. There have been no reports of child soldiers among those demobilised or reintegrated.

1359 Geslin, J.D., "La paix retrouvee", Jeune Afrique, No. 1975, 11/98; Balencie, J.M., and de La Grange op. cit.

1360 UN IRIN, West Africa Weekly Round-up, 6-99, 12/2/99.

1361 UN IRIN, "ECOMOG capable of defending border, ECOWAS head says", 24/1/01.

1362 Horeman and Stolwijk op. cit.

1363 CIA World Factbook 2000.

1364 US State Department Human Rights Report 2000.

1365 UN IRIN, "Niger: Ex-fighters in reintegration programme", 15/3/00.

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