Some 5,000 people have held a demonstration in the eastern Niger town of Diffa, calling on the government to go ahead with its plans to expel Arabs. The protesters accuse members of the 150,000-strong Mahamid Arab community of robbery and say their camels disturb the grazing of cattle and goats. The government last week reversed its policy of deporting the Arabs to Chad, many of whom crossed over more than 30 years ago to escape drought, famine and fighting in their homeland. (BBC)