Niger is extending a state of alert in its rebellion-plagued northern desert, according to AP. A decree published in state-run papers Thursday renews the state of alert in the Agadez region for three months from Sunday. The alert boosts the army's powers to conduct security operations, patrols, home searches and identity checks. It was first declared in August 2007 and has been extended twice already. Clashes between government forces and rebels occur sporadically in the uranium-rich north despite multiple attempts at cease-fires. The rebels say they are fighting for more rights for the ethnic Tuareg minority. President Mamadou Tandja signed the latest extension decree late Wednesday.
