Influx of Nigerian refugees in Maradi: a new emergency on Niger’s borders

Since May 2019, more than 40,000 Nigerians from the states of Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina have decided to leave their homes despite the insecurity and constraints of the rainy season, for seeking refuge in the region of Maradi, south-east Niger. These people say they fled the upsurge of violence, kidnappings and killings perpetrated against their communities by armed groups whose exact motives and structures remain unclear.