NigerienとNigerian
Fears for Niger leader after attack
By Tom Burgis in Lagos
Published: February 18 2010 15:20 | Last updated: February 18 2010 20:39
The fate of Niger's president was unclear on Thursday after soldiers mounted an audacious daylight attack on his palace, staging an apparent coup.
Eyewitnesses reported heavy gunfire in the capital Niamey and smoke rising from the official residence of Mamadou Tandja, the president.
Tension has risen since Mr Tandja rewrote the constitution last year to increase his own powers and remove term limits. The move, approved in a popular a referendum, drew international sanctions and raised fears of unrest.
Mr Tandja chose to abolish the constitutional court after it declared this vote illegal. More than 10,000 people protested against the president in Niamey last Sunday.
On Thursday, the Associated Press news agency quoted eyewitnesses saying that soldiers entered the presidential palace during a cabinet meeting. Gunfire was heard and Mr Tandja's subsequent whereabouts were unknown. By late afternoon, the fighting appeared to have died down.
Some reports suggested that the president and his cabinet were being held captive by soldiers.
Rolake Akinola, an analyst from Control Risks, told a news agency: "It goes to show the political crisis is deepening. This indicates that there is growing discontent against Tandja, even in the loyalist camp."
Before thursday's events, Mr Tandja had dissolved parliament and begun ruling by decree. He argued that he must remain at the helm of the country of 15m people partly to oversee the rise in foreign investment.
Last year, France's Areva said it would spend ?1.2bn ($1.6bn, £1bn) on a uranium mine, which it said would double the country's production and make Niger the world's second biggest source of the mineral. In 2008, China signed a $5bn oil exploration agreement with Niger. This month, China's CNNC International said it would buy a stake in the country's Azelik uranium mine.
