niamey/nairobi doundou chefou first take arm youth decade ago reason many ethnic fulani herders along niger-mali border protect livestock nothing republic niger let alone unite state america quarrel rival tuareg cattle raiders yet oct. year lead dozens militants ally islamic state deadly assault ally u.s.-niger force kill four soldier nation demonstrate dangerous west mission sahel become incident spark call washington public hear presence u.s. troop pentagon probe due complete january ask reuters talk chefou nigerien defence minister kalla mountari face fell terrorist bandit someone intend harm niger say office nigerien capital niamey early month track seek ever set foot niger neutralize like gunmen so-called islamic state great sahara operate along sand-swept borderlands mali niger burkina faso meet chefou use ordinary fulani pastoralist little interest jihad several government source knowledge matter say transition chefou men like vigilantes protect cow jihadists capable carry complex attack story western power would well heed pursuit violent extremism west africa become ever enmesh long-standing ethnic clan conflict analysts say local affiliate remain small few 80 fighters also case first al qaeda-linked factions tap local grievances expand influence mali 2012. unite nations week release report show northern somalia grow around 200 fighters dozen last year u.s. military ramp presence niger neighbor countries recent years fear poverty corruption weak state mean region ripe spread extremist group centuries tuareg fulani live nomads herd animals trade tuareg mostly across dun oases sahara fulani mostly sahel vast band semi-arid scrubland stretch senegal sudan beneath manage become relatively wealthy accumulate vast herd always stay separate modern nation-states form around though largely live peacefully side-by-side arguments occasionally flare usually scarce water point steady increase availability automatic weapons years make rivalry ever deadly turn point western-backed ouster libya muammar gaddafi 2011. demise many tuareg region fight mercenaries gaddafi return home bring content libya loot armories returnees launch rebellion mali try create breakaway tuareg state desert north movement soon hijack al qaeda-linked jihadists operate mali years islamists mali recruit raise fund kidnap 2012 sweep across northern mali seize key towns prompt french intervention push back 2013. amid violence chaos tuareg turn gun rival ethnic group like fulani go islamists arm train november 2013 young nigerien fulani row tuareg chief money old man thrash chase away recall boubacar diallo head association fulani livestock breeders along mali border live niamey youth come back arm ak-47 kill chief wound wife flee victim happen uncle powerful malian warlord next week heavily arm tuareg slaughter 46 fulani revenge attack along mali-niger border incident bloody attack record area say diallo document dozens attack tuareg raiders kill hundreds people lead thousands cow hundreds camels steal point fulani area realize need weapons defend say diallo represent talk aim ease communal tensions crimes almost never investigate police admit niamey-based law enforcement official knowledge tuareg arm pillage fulani cattle niger interior minister mohamed bazoum tell reuters fulani felt oblige arm self-defense gandou zakaria researcher mix tuareg-fulani heritage faculty law niamey university spend years study youths turn jihad religious belief bottom list concern tell reuters instead local grievances main drive force whereas tuareg mali niger dream sometimes fight independent state fulani generally pre-occupied concern security community herd depend fulani sense injustice exclusion discrimination need self-defense zakaria say one militant prove particularly good tap dissatisfaction adnan abu walid al-sahrawi arabic-speaking north african several law enforcement source say al-sahrawi recruit dozens fulani movement unity jihad west africa mujwa loosely ally al qaeda region control gao area niger border 2012. french force 2013 scatter islamists malian towns control al-sahrawi briefly ally mokhtar belmokhtar al qaeda veteran today al-sahrawi face islamic state region something discourse speak youth appeal sense injustice niger government official say al-sahrawi two diplomatic source say sign al-sahrawi receive financial back central iraq syria chefou end one handful al-sahrawi lieutenants unclear government source say bring senior officer also fulani know petit chapori like many fulani youth toughen life sahel chefou often jail possession weapons involvement localize violence end deal strike communities government official say yet diallo meet chefou several time say calm gentle surprise become militia leader u.s. nigerien source differ nature fatal mission oct 4. nigeriens say go chefou u.s. officials say reconnaissance mission one vehicle lose u.s. force supply cia kitted surveillance equipment u.s. media report surveillance drone monitor battle live fee fulani men mount motorbike arm assault rifle first acquire look cow niger mali 's cattle herders turn jihad