WARNING: Areas near the Mali border are essentially lawless, and travel near the border is STRONGLY discouraged. Several western tourists have been kidnapped in recent years and at least two (a Frenchman & Briton) have been executed by al Qaeda after being kidnapped near the Mali-Niger border. Agadez is the center of the ongoing Tuareg rebellion (as of June 2009) and travel to the city and surrounding region is dangerous and discouraged.
Much of Niger is experiencing a severe food shortage that may get worse before September harvests and then continue into 2011.