Niger Funeral Bombed by Fatal Airstrike

On February 17th an airstrike occurred in a southeastern village in Niger. The airstrike was carried out by a military plane, which's nationality has yet to be identified. The attack resulted in the death of 37 mourners at a funeral in the village. An additional 20 persons were wounded during the airstrike. The incident according to the security source who announced the airstrike said it was accidental, explaining that the airstrike was part of an ongoing attack on the group Boko Haram. Response for this incident has not yet be reported, and this airstrike is part of an ongoing fatal war against Boko Haram.

It is important to take note the location of the airstrike, a small village named Abadam on the northeastern border of Niger with Chad and Nigeria. This border village occupies a dangerous area due to the ongoing fight of Boko Haram for the breakaway from the islamic state. Secondly, Niger itself is a poverty stricken landlocked country in Western Africa. 59.5% of the population fall under poverty according to the World Bank, and GNI as of 2013 stood at $400. The country lacks the ability to provide basic social services. This leaves the country weak in the forces of disasters and conflict. The bombing is a strong representation, as the victims could not be treated with appropriate medical help. Also, their has yet to be a response by aid groups, such as NGO's or IGO's. This could be due to the desolate location and lack of proper infrastructure.

The second major point of this disaster is its place in the larger conflict of Boko Haram. This group is a radical islamic terrorist organization which strives to enforce a strict form of Sharia Law. The group has been blamed for over 5,000 civilians deaths between 2009 and 2014. Thus, countries like Chad, Niger and Nigeria have launched campaigns to destroy this movement and the violence they create. This incident comes at an odd juncture, as it was not Boko Haram (as of yet) who bombed the civilians, but a nation trying to stop the terrorist organization.

Finally, there is the essential question of wether this is a disaster. In terms of numbers, 37 civilians is does dictate a high death toll and could be considered a disaster. One could look at the risk assessment of the village, and see that Abadam was at high risk of attacks from Boko Haram, other terrorist groups or even accidental airstrike like what occurred in this instance. The most tragic and heart wrenching part of this disaster however was that this was a funeral that was bombed. The people were mourning the death of a family member or friend and were ultimately killed. One could say that this is an example of wrong place wrong time, or the incompetence of the pilot, or the lack of intelligence or a slue of other responses. The most important part of this tragedy is the lives lost during a sacred event and how this event contributes to the greater subject of the terrorist group Boko Haram.

References:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/18/africa/niger-mourners-killed/
http://www.demanjo.com/news/entertainment/568453/air-strike-kills-dozens-in-niger-nigeria-border-village.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31521279
http://data.worldbank.org/country/niger#cp_wdi