Washington, Nov 12 (ANI): Mahamadou Issoufou, the President of Niger, the nation that shares a massive boundary with Libya, has warned that the weapons smuggled after the collapse of Muammar Gaddafi's government are disseminating all over the region.
"Arms were stolen in Libya and are being disseminated all over the region," the Wall street Journal quoted Issoufou, as saying.
"Saharan countries are facing terrorist threats, arms and criminal trafficking. The Libya crisis is amplifying those crises," he added.
Issoufou's remarks came days after Niger's military clashed with arms smugglers travelling from Libya.
According to Issoufou, six smugglers and one soldier died in the Sunday's battle.
Issoufou said the governments of Niger, Mauritania, Algeria and Mali are forming a task force to share military personnel and intelligence to combat the double threat of weapons from Libya and terrorism.
He also pointed out that his nation already faced a threat from militants of the so-called Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), adding that the flow of arms from Libya risks "amplifying those crises."
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mohamed Bazoum said that Niger has requested extra arms and helicopters from France and the US to assist in sealing its border. (ANI)
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