Spain will continue to support Niger in the fight against terrorism and human trafficking
The Spanish government committed itself on Thursday to continue supporting the Nigerian government in its fight against terrorism, illegal immigration and human trafficking, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González-Laya, told the press during her visit to Niamey.
The minister, who was received in an audience by President Issoufo Mahamadou and also met with the Prime Minister, Brigi Rafini, said her interlocutors asked her to "maintain international efforts in the area of cooperation in defence and security".
Specifically, he cited the presence in the country of the French force Barkhane, "operation Tacuba" (joint units of European special forces), in addition to the training work of the Spanish Civil Guard to the local police and mobile guards in Niger "who do so much to fight against criminal groups that traffic in people".
The minister expressed her recognition of the efforts of Niger - one of the poorest countries in Africa and a transit point on the migration routes - to dismantle these human trafficking networks, referring to the 2015 law that specifically criminalised irregular migration and helped to reduce its incidence.
Finally, his Nigerian interlocutors thanked Spain and the European Union in general for their support in providing emergency accommodation for the half a million people who lost their homes last month as a result of the severe flooding in the country.
González-Laya also referred to the situation in neighbouring Mali following the coup d'état of 18 August, and announced that Spain, like the European Union, is going to resume co-operation with that country, thus aligning itself with the Community of West African States (ECOWAS) which decided on Tuesday to lift its sanctions after the coup leaders concretised their transition to civilian rule.
The cooperation that is being resumed with Mali," the minister said, "is going to allow this country to "pay salaries to its officials and provide basic services to its population," and now is the time to plant an increased presence of the European mission EUTM to train and educate the country's armed forces and police.
During her day in Niamey, which precedes another stage in Ndjamena, the capital of Chad, the minister also took the opportunity to meet with women from Nigerian civil society.
