Heads roll over deadly attack

Niger has replaced two top military leaders following last week’s jihadist assault on an army base left 89 dead in the biggest single loss in the country's history. The new armed forces chief of staff is General Salifou Modi, who replaces General Ahmed Mohamed, and the new head of the army is Brigadier General Seidou Bague, replacing Sidikou Issa. A report on the News24 site notes that the decision was made before Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou left for Pau in France for a summit on the crisis in the Sahel. It brings together a summit of the so-called G5 countries – Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Mali and Mauritania – with France, the former colonial power in the region, who is leading the fight against the insurgents.