Question:
On Thursday, 18/02/2010, military sources in Niger announced that soldiers led by Major Adamou Harouna carried out a military coup against the country's president, Mamadou Tandja. They announced the detention of the President and members of the government at a location near the presidential palace in the capital, Niamey, and declared the suspension of the constitution and the dissolution of all state institutions. Is this coup like its predecessors, occurring in Niger as a local struggle between the agents of France—which holds influence in this old French colony—or is it an international conflict? May Allah reward you with goodness.
Answer:
Yes, this coup occurred as you mentioned, and the formation of the "Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy" was announced. Its head is Salou Djibo, the commander of the support unit in Niamey, which includes heavy weapons such as armored vehicles. The statement from this council read: "The government has been dissolved, and the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy informs the people that the management of public affairs has been entrusted to the directors-general of ministries and governors." (Reuters, AFP 19/02/2010)
To understand the reality of what happened, we review the following indicators:
The French news agency AFP reported that an unnamed French official told them earlier: "A coup attempt is underway in Niger and Tandja is not in a good position." The agency added that this French diplomat told them: "The presidential guard participated in the coup," and clarified by saying: "We know that a section of the army opposes Tandja and has asserted itself despite constitutional provisions, but we thought they were a minority." He also said: "There is a history of coups in this country, but we did not think it would happen this quickly." The Prime Minister of Niger, Ali Badjo Gamatié, had called for an important cabinet meeting on Wednesday, just one day before the coup.
All of this indicates that France did not expect this coup against its agent, Mamadou Tandja, to happen so quickly. While it sensed movement among military personnel, it believed they were a minority—meaning they were either not influential or incapable of a coup. France was negotiating with them and trying to manage the situation to prevent the coup, but it occurred against its will. The government also felt a threat and, supported by France, wanted to resolve the issue to remove the threat, but the military surprised them just as they surprised France.
France showed its dissatisfaction with this coup by condemning it. A spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated: "France condemns any seizure of power by unconstitutional means and calls for a dialogue between the coup plotters and the country's president." (Al-Hurra American channel, 19/02/2010). The statement by the French Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirms that France is against the coup plotters and wants dialogue between them and the president to restore him. Thus, it is understood that the coup took place against its interests.
On 19/02/2010, AFP quoted an unnamed American official in Washington saying: "Tandja has no one but himself to blame for the occurrence of the coup." On the same date, this agency and other news outlets also reported that US State Department spokesperson Philip Crowley stated: "This is a difficult situation. President Tandja was trying to extend his mandate. It is clear that this is indeed what accelerated today's events." He added: "We believe this underscores Niger's need to move forward with organizing elections and forming a new government."
The statements of the unnamed American official and the US State Department spokesperson indicate that America is satisfied with the coup and holds the ousted President Tandja effectively responsible for it. This is a reference to President Tandja's attempt to extend his own term by three years through a constitutional amendment referendum held last August. This move was opposed by the opposition at the time, creating a state of political instability in the country. Tandja had been elected twice following a military coup led by Major Daouda Malam Wanké in 1999. Since the constitution did not allow him a third term, he made that amendment. He had dissolved the Constitutional Court for not approving the amendment to allow him to run for a third term or extend his presidency. He also dissolved the parliament on 26 May last year and subsequently held parliamentary elections last November, which the opposition boycotted.
The American statements referencing the extension incident are meant to place the actual responsibility on the President and justify the coup. Furthermore, the US State Department spokesperson did not call for the restoration of the President, nor for a dialogue between the coup plotters and the ousted President; instead, he called for the organization of new elections and the formation of a new government. All of this confirms that America was behind the coup.
It is well known that Niger—which is an Islamic country with a majority Muslim population—was a direct French colony. It was given formal independence in 1960, but French influence in all its forms remained. To this day, "1,500" French nationals reside there to secure France's nuclear interests, as Niger is the third-largest producer of uranium in the world, and French companies are the ones investing in its uranium production. For this reason, it is a target for American ambitions to seize control and expel French influence, as is the case in other parts of Africa—most of which are Islamic lands rich in natural resources. These regions are sources of various raw materials and energy, making them a theater of conflict between the greedy Western colonialist powers, both European and American.
Due to Niger's importance in terms of uranium production, especially since French companies are the ones exploiting it, it is not expected that the situation will clear up for America easily. France will not leave its colonies and vacate them for America without resistance. Consequently, the coming days will bring a heated international struggle in this Muslim country, unlike the local conflicts between French agents that Niger was accustomed to previously.
6 Rabi' al-Awwal 1431 AH 20/02/2010 CE