"Extreme shock" and "anger" are the first words of French expatriates in Niamey when they evoke the terrible armed attack, which killed eight victims - including six French - in Kouré in Niger this Sunday, and which did not still not been claimed. With, as a common thought: "It could have been me".
According to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs France Diplomatie, at least 1,400 French nationals lived in Niger in 2019. Those we interviewed had gone, at least once, to Kouré, 60 km from the Nigerien capital, to admire the giraffes. Nathalie (all first names have been changed) , expatriate for nine years, describes the reserve as "one of the few places still considered to be safe". “The embassy still allowed us to go. We had to specify our visiting hours, of course, but we had the impression that nothing could happen there, ”she recalls.
Thierry, aged about fifty, has been living in Niamey with his family since the mid-2000s. Last Christmas, he also visited the reserve with his parents. He tells of the gradual tightening of security rules in the country. “I remember a time when people moved around quite freely in Niger, from the north to the south of the country. In 2011, the death of a humanitarian worker and his friend (Editor's note: Antoine de Léocour and Vincent Delory were kidnapped in Niamey and killed in Mali during the attempt to release French special forces) caused a first shock ” .
Since then, the hold of jihadist groups has increased in Niger. However, Thierry does not think of leaving the country. “My life is in Niamey. I never felt in danger there. No more, in any case, than when we returned to France after the 2015 and 2016 attacks in Paris and Nice. "
"In a world where it can happen anywhere"
Nathalie also does not fear being in Niamey more than in Paris. On vacation in France at the time of the attack, she did not fear her return. "I put it into perspective and I tell myself that we are unfortunately in a world where this can happen anywhere and anytime."
Marie arrived in the Nigerien capital a few months ago, on a humanitarian mission for a European NGO. For her, shortening her trip and leaving Niger is unthinkable: “I chose this job, this country with the risks that go with it. I will never make the decision to leave after this kind of disaster. That would be to prove the people who commit these horrors right. "
Tourism prohibited, solo outing banned
On Tuesday, Emmanuel Macron announced the strengthening of security measures in Niger. This Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs placed the country in the red zone. "Travel is formally discouraged throughout Niger," he said on his website. The only exception concerns Niamey where travel “is not recommended unless there is a compelling reason”, which corresponds to the orange classification. So far, the capital has been yellow, as has National Road 1 leading to Kouré Park, where aid workers have been targeted.
Nathalie considers these measures unfair and regrets this new classification which, according to her, cuts Niger off from any possible tourism and suffocates the country. "There were attacks in Paris, and France has not become a red zone," she maintains. She is particularly concerned about the meaning of these new restrictions: “There can be terrorist attacks everywhere. Often, Westerners are targeted. However, Westerners go where they have the right to go. With these measures, there will be only one target: Niamey. "
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While waiting for the details of the reinforcement of security measures planned by the French government, changes in the daily life of expatriates are essential. Tourism prohibited, solo outing banned and increased vigilance: these are the new rules that Marie imposes on herself. “We don't know who was targeted in the attack. Was it because they were French, white, humanitarian or tourists? »Without answers to her questions, Marie feels she is a potential target and prefers to revise her security rules upwards. It specifies varying its routes and the times of its daily journeys and no longer travel except on foot. She insists: “Obviously, after what has just happened, it reminds us of the reality of the country. We are therefore more careful. "