• Forum
• SITREP

• Military

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space
• Public Eye

Further Reading

Coups in Niger

Niger began its history as an independent state under the single-party regime of President Hamani Diori. During this period Niger was reasonably quiet and stable with the exceptions of a weak economy and scattered ethnic conflicts. The Sahelian drought of 1968-75 killed much of Niger's livestock and drastically reduced its crop production. That, coupled with accusations of severe government corruption, led to a military coup in 1974 that overthrew Diori. He was replaced by Lieutenant Colonel Seyni Kountche. Kountche and his military government ruled Niger while improving ties with the European Community, neighboring states, and Arab states. Wealth disparities caused by the uranium boom of the early 1980s culminated with an unsuccessful military coup against the regime in 1983. This prompted the Kountche government to change cabinets rather often, hoping to ensure loyalty among government officials.

Kountche's death in 1987 brought General Ali Seybou to power. Seybou promised to dissolve the military government and replace with a democratically elected civilian government. The government was finally dissolved and the constitution was suspended in 1991 and a transitional civilian government followed, referred to as the Third Republic. Mahamane Ousmane was elected president in free elections in 1993, but the opposition won control of the legislature, leading to a political stalemate. Despite this, considerable democratic progress was made, including freedom of the press, the adoption of key legislation, and the holding of several free, fair, and non-violent elections. However, democracy in Niger was short-lived as the government was ousted in a coup led by Colonel Ibrahim Bare Mainassara, who won flawed presidential elections held in 1996 and began to draft a constitution for a Fourth Republic. Suffering from a lack of credibility and support both domestically and internationally, Mainassara turned to Libya, then a pariah state under international embargo for support, thus violating international law. Opposition leaders were imprisoned, journalists were beaten and intimidated, and independent media offices were often looted and burned. Mainassara was assassinated by members of his presidential guard in 1999 and Major Daouda Malam Wanke took power soon after and established a transitional National Reconciliation Council designed to draft a constitution for a Fifth Republic. Free and fair elections were held in November of the same year and Tandja Mamadou, a retired colonel, won the presidency.