By Abdoulaye Massalatchi
NIAMEY (Reuters) - A leader of Niger's Tuareg-led rebelmovement was killed when government troops backed byhelicopters captured a rebel position in the north of the WestAfrican state, a government army officer said on Saturday.
Niger's defence ministry had announced on Friday therecapture by the army of Tazerzait, at the foot of Mount Tamgakin the Agadez region, a position which Niger Justice Movement(MNJ) fighters had attacked and taken a year ago. It said 17members of the rebel MNJ were killed in Friday's army assault.
"We killed 17 armed bandits yesterday and among the deadwas Asharif, their vice-president, whom everyone knows desertedfrom the government forces a year ago," the government officer,who asked not to be named, told Reuters.
The MNJ's website, www.m-n-j.blogspot.com, lists CaptainAsharif Mohamed-Almoctar as the first vice-president of theinsurgent group, whose desert fighters have waged a rebellionsince last year in the uranium-producing northern Agadezregion.
MNJ leaders are demanding greater autonomy for the regionand a bigger share of its mineral wealth for local people.
Without confirming Mohamed-Almoctar as a casualty, the MNJsaid on its website one of its unit commanders was "missing"after fierce fighting around Tazerzait, in which it said 26government soldiers and seven rebel fighters were killed.
The MNJ said it had shot down a helicopter, one of two itsaid was used by the government in its assault on Tazerzait.Niger's army said it suffered no losses in the operation.
The latest fighting followed the release by the MNJ onWednesday of four French employees of the French nuclear groupAreva it abducted on Sunday in the northern uranium mining townof Arlit. The rebels said they had seized the four to disprovethe government's assurances that it could protect foreignmining and oil investments.
President Mamadou Tandja's government, which dismisses theMNJ rebels as bandits and smugglers of arms and drugs, hasruled out any negotiations unless they first lay down theirarms.
At least 200 rebels and 70 government troops have beenkilled in more than a year of inconclusive fighting.
Encouraged by rising world prices for uranium, theradioactive fuel for nuclear reactors, Niger hopes to becomethe world's no. 2 uranium producer by 2011, thanks to new minesbeing opened by France's Areva and the China NuclearInternational Uranium Corp. (Sino-U).
Many other foreign companies have been awarded licences toexplore for uranium, gold, oil and other minerals in Niger.
(For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say onthe top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/)
(Writing by Pascal Fletcher)
