Niger: 3 civil society activists arrested

NIAMEY, Niger (AA) - Three Nigerien civil society activists have been arrested and taken to the premises of the judicial police in Niamey, on the sidelines of demonstrations against a new financial reform, local sources told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.

"Comrades Abass, Harouna and Djibo have been kept since Monday in the premises of the Judicial Police," said Ali Idrissa, coordinator of the Network of Organizations for Transparency and Budget Analysis (ROTAB-NIGER).

The three arrested activists are members of the Information, Communication, Technologies and Energy Consumers' Association (ACTICE), he said.

Neither the police nor the government have issued a statement concerning the arrest of the three activists.

Interior Minister Mohamed Bazoum, however, announced the ''permanent suspension'' of the activities of ACTICE for allegedly organizing an event that led to violence on ''public and private property".

Last Sunday, several other civil society groups organized a march against a new financial reform.

Thousands of protesters gathered in Toumo Square, near the city center, to denounce the law that is currently being discussed in parliament and considered "anti-social".

Twenty-three police officers were injured after violent clashes erupted between the protesters and the police, the Interior Ministry said Monday evening.

Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world.