Gunmen kill 6 French tourists at a wildlife park in Niger

Six French tourists visiting a giraffe reserve in Niger were killed along with two Nigeriens by suspected terrorists on Sunday, August 9. 

The group were in the Koure region, which attracts tourists who want to see the last herds of giraffe in West Africa.

The gunmen arrived on motorcycles and opened fire at the group in a giraffe reserve in the Kouré area, the governor of Tillabéri region, Tidjani Ibrahim, told the French news agency AFP.

“They were intercepted and killed,” he said, confirming that six French people and two Nigeriens died.

A source told AFP the tourists were riding in a vehicle that belonged to the French humanitarian organization ACTED when they were attacked at around 11:30 am. 

French President Emmanuel Macron’s office confirmed that French nationals had been killed in Niger. 

Macron spoke on the phone with his Niger counterpart Mahamadou Issoufou on Sunday, a statement said, without giving further details.

The Koure Giraffe Reserve, around 40 miles southeast of the capital Niamey, is a popular attraction in Niger.