Niger police fire teargas at Charlie Hebdo protesters

Police fired teargas at hundreds of rock-throwing demonstrators in Niger's capital Niamey on Saturday, in the latest of several protests in France's former African colonies against French newspaper Charlie Hebdo's cartoons.

In the second day of protests in Niger, at least two police cars were burned by demonstrators outside the main mosque in Niamey after authorities banned a march organised by local Muslim leaders. No casualties were reported.

On Friday, at least one police officer and three civilians were killed in demonstrations against the Charlie Hebdo cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in Niger's second city of Zinder, police sources said. Churches were burned, Christian homes looted and the French cultural centre attacked during the violence in Zinder, residents said.

Peaceful marches took place after Friday prayers in the capital cities of other West African countries - Mali, Senegal and Mauritania - and Algeria in North Africa, which are all also former French colonies. In Algiers, several police were injured in clashes with protesters angered by the cartoons.