Cease-fire truce reached with Niger rebels

NIAMEY, Niger, May 15 (UPI) -- Two major rebel groups in Niger say they have agreed to a cease-fire after holding talks with Prime Minister Seyni Oumarou.

The BBC said Friday the Niger Movement for Justice and the Niger Patriotic Front agreed to hand over weaponry in the near future as part the truce.

The rebel groups recently concluded talks with Oumarou and had also met with President Mamadou Tandja this month.

The cease-fire comes after two years of activities by the rebel groups in a dispute over autonomy and the sharing of uranium mining profits in Niger, the BBC said.