Dozens of people suspected of having a connection with the terrorist Islamist group Boko Haram were arrested today in the region of Zinder in southern Niger, the provincial governor, Kalah Mutari, told AFP.

Meanwhile, -French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, announced today that he will be visiting Chad, Cameroon and Niger in the coming days, in order to support their efforts against the Boko Haram.

"We will help these countries with our friendship, but we have no intention to implement direct action in the region," Fabius said in an interview to the network Europe 1. He added: "African initiative, international support - that's what needs to be done."