Militants Escape Prison in Niger

Niger’s interior ministry has reported that search units are on alert after inmates escaped from the high-security Koutoukale prison, which houses Islamist militants. The prison, located 50 kilometers northwest of Niamey, has experienced breakout attempts in 2016 and 2019.

It holds detainees from Niger’s conflict with armed groups linked to al-Qaeda, Islamic State, and suspected Boko Haram insurgents. Local authorities imposed an overnight curfew in Tillaberi, the urban commune in the region.

The central Sahel countries, including Niger, are combating a growing jihadist threat since 2012, resulting in numerous deaths and displacement, aggravating a severe humanitarian crisis in some of the world’s poorest nations.