Niamey, the Nigerien capital, will host a meeting of residents of the Niger-Mali border area on March 9, the Malian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Zahabi Ould Mohamed, announced on Thursday.
Citing the recurring communal clashes in the area, Mohamed said “it has become necessary for us to intensify efforts because the conflicts affect both border-sharing states.’’
He told journalists at the end of his meeting with the Nigerien president, Mahamadou Issoufou, that “in addition to a message from Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita for the Nigerien head of State, I briefed Issoufou on the ongoing peace process in Mali.’’
“You all know the efforts sustained by Niger to contribute to the return of normalcy in North Mali.
“Furthermore Niger has also hosted Malian refugees, members of our armed forces at a time when we were in trouble,’’ Mohamed recalled.
