Authorities in Niger Republic have announced that it wouldo recruit 5000 soldiers into the Army in order to bolster the country’s fight against insurgency.
This is an unusual step because the government typically recruits roughly 2,000 soldiers each year.
Young individuals between the ages of 18 and 25 have been encouraged to apply for army recruiting.
The military stated in a statement that recruitment of the 5000 soldiers will be completed in May.
Insecurity raging in Niger, with Boko Haram in the south near the Nigerian border and factions linked to the Islamic State and al-Qaeda in the west bordering Mali and Burkina Faso.
The military recruitment comes as France prepares to withdraw its troops from Mali, potentially creating a void, after nearly a decade of fighting Islamist groups in the Sahel.
President Bazoum Mohammed had hoped for the French troops to be redeployed to his country, but no agreement has been reached.