security further affected women’s and Niger, and 79% of attacks targeting civilians children’s rights, the right to education and during the first half of the year. the right to health, while the rights of In August, unidentified gunmen attacked refugees and migrants continued to be the village Darey Dey (Tillabéri region), killing violated. Internet shutdowns and other 37 people, including 14 children. violations of freedom of expression were Armed groups also destroyed state documented. infrastructure and burned granaries. BACKGROUND CHILDREN’S RIGHTS The election of President Mohamed Bazoum Children’s rights were seriously affected in in February was followed over several days by Niger due to lack of security, among other widespread protests, at times violent. factors. By September, at least 60 children Self-defence groups emerged in northern had been killed during attacks on villages by Tillabéri and eastern Tahoua (Tillia commune) ISGS and other armed groups. The Group for in response to killings by the Islamic State in the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM) the Greater Sahara (ISGS). recruited children in several communities in The humanitarian situation remained Torodi department (Tillabéri region). critical, due to continued situations of armed In May, an attack by a faction of the ISGS in conflict mainly in the Lake Chad and the Tillia (Tahoua region) led to mass Tillabéri regions. By December, UNHCR, the displacement and the kidnapping of four refugee agency, had established that boys. 264,257 people were internally displaced RIGHT TO EDUCATION due to the violence, along with 249,816 refugees from neighbouring countries. Armed groups including Boko Haram, the ABUSES BY ARMED GROUPS ISGS and the GSIM continued to prohibit “Western” education and to commit war The conflict in the west of Niger escalated, crimes by attacking schools, denying children with a surge of attacks by the ISGS and other the right to education. By May, around 700 armed groups against civilians mainly in the teachers were no longer at their posts in Tillaberi region. The attacks targeting civilians Tillabéri region, and by June, 377 schools or carried out indiscriminately constitute war had closed nationwide. At least 31,728 1 crimes. pupils, including 15,518 girls, were not On 2 January, the ISGS attacked the villages attending school, according to UNICEF and of Tchoma Bangou and Zaroum Darey government sources. (Tillabéri region), killing at least 103 civilians. According to UNICEF, as of June over 50% ISGS launched another attack on 15 March of children aged seven to 16 were not against traders between Banibangou and enrolled in school in Niger. Sinégodrar (Tillabéri region), resulting in 58 deaths. This was followed on 21 March by WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ RIGHTS attacks against villagers and Malian refugees The rights of women and girls continued to in the Tillia commune (Tahoua region), in be routinely violated, particularly in the which 137 people were killed, according to context of the armed conflict. The influence the government. Among these victims, 29 of customary law meant that child marriage were children, including three girls. continued to remain prevalent. ISGS officially claimed these attacks in May, In April, members of the Chadian justifying them by the emergence of pro- contingent of the G5 Sahel threatened several government militias in these communes. women and girls and raped three of them, According to the Armed Conflict Location and including an 11-year-old girl in Tera (Tillabéri Event Data Project, ISGS was responsible for region). The soldiers were repatriated and an 66% of all deaths from organized violence in Amnesty International Report 2021/22 274