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Govt. bans Muslims from wearing burqas following Boko Haram attacks

On July 12, the Islamists raided Diffa prison in a likely bid to free detained members, killing a guard

Muslim women in burqa

The Nigerien government in the Diffa area sharing a border with Nigeria, have banned the full Islamic  veil also known as burqa in the wake of suicide attacks  by women wearing the religious garment.

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According to the Diffa mayor who spoke to AFP on Wednesday, July 29, the ban was in line with the prevention of Boko Haram attacks.

“Women in the region are forbidden from wearing the full veil until further notice, in order to prevent suicide attacks by Boko Haram,” he said.

The full veil has been banned in several regions of Cameroon after a string of bombings by women and girls, including attackers wearing the garment.

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“It’s better to prevent danger,” a security source said, adding that “a growing number of women and young girls are wearing the full veil in Diffa.”

A night-time curfew has been imposed, while February’s ban on motorcycles — the Jihadists’ vehicle of choice — has been extended, the mayor said.

Niger has joined a regional campaign alongside Chad, Niger and Nigeria to battle Boko Haram, whose insurgency has killed at least 15,000 people since 2009 in the name of founding an Islamic caliphate..

On July 12, the Islamists raided Diffa prison in a likely bid to free detained members, killing a guard, according to local authorities.

Six days later, Boko Haram militants killed 16 civilians in an attack on a southeastern Niger village.

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In June, 38 civilians were killed -including 10 children-in a Boko Haram attack targeting two villages close to Diffa.

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