Niger: Six French Aid Workers Murdered by Unknown Gunmen

Six French humanitarian workers Sunday were killed by unidentified attackers at the Koure wildlife reserve in Niger.

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Less than one hour after entering the reserve, the group, its driver, and a local guide were attacked by gunmen on motorcycles.

They were employees of the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED). This agency has been working in Niger since 2010 and provides aid to displaced people and local populations which are vulnerable to armed conflicts, lack of food, and droughts.

France's President Emmanuel Macron to help Niger´s authorities to tackle the terrorist group in the Sahel region, where local troops supported by French air support have already launched a hunt for the killers.

"The international community must understand the contradiction between asking us to support these populations who live under the most dramatic circumstances and leaving us alone against violence, where we are the easiest targets," the ACTED co-founder Frederic Roussel said.

Niger's President Issoufou Mahamadou described the attack as cowardly and barbaric and extended his sincere condolences to the families of the victims.

The perpetrators of the attack have yet to be identified, but it is suspected that the killings may be linked to the activities of militant jihadist groups in the former French colony.