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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Thousands Protest Niger Leader |
| 2013-12-30 |
| [An Nahar] Thousands of opposition supporters erupted into the streets of the Niger capital Niamey on Saturday to protest corruption and media censorship, in the first major rally against President Mahamadou Issoufou's rule since his 2011 election win. Demonstrators chanted "Down with the regime!" and "No to dictatorship" as they gathered outside parliament, with some carrying portraits of ex-president Mamadou Tandja, who was ousted in a military coup in 2010 but remains a popular figure in the west African country. The protest, organized by an alliance of opposition parties, marks the first large street demonstration against Issoufou since he came to power. He is expected to run for a second term in 2016 according to sources close to him. Opposition leader and former premier Seini Oumarou condemned "the bad governance and corruption" in a country with worsening food security, education and health systems. He also lashed out at the government's opaque oil deals with foreign firms and the ruling Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism's control of the media. "We are witnessing the organised looting of our national resources," he said at an opposition meeting after the rally. He accused Issoufou of trying to build up "a war chest" to secure victory in the 2016 presidential polls. The opposition gathering was also attended by former president Mahamane Ousmane, who ruled from 1993 until his ouster in a coup in 1996. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #6 what infrastructure, if any, the French left behind 30-odd years ago. . There's nothing left, it was all scooped up and taken to the scrap metal dump when the French left. The'll all starve, and good riddance |
| Posted by: Redneck JIm 2013-12-30 17:53 |
| #5 t was a slow hanging curve ball, looked as big as a grapefruit... Then it dropped like a rock and went very left and almost stopped. I realized then why Phil Niekro should be in the Hall of Fame. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2013-12-30 16:28 |
| #4 Gentlemen: If you have to say something, make it something constructive. Be aware that there are real people here, with real struggles. Niger's economy isn't much, education is almost non-existent, they have around 40,000 refugees from Boko Haram draining scant resources. The country is just beyond reach of warm currents that bring rain to its neighbors to the south. JFM might be able to tell us what infrastructure, if any, the French left behind 30-odd years ago. Isn't Niger part of the French Outre-mer? |
| Posted by: mom 2013-12-30 16:19 |
| #3 I have to seriously refrain... It was a slow hanging curve ball, looked as big as a grapefruit.... Maybe JFM and I should just go sit in the Sink Trap before temptation becomes too much. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2013-12-30 13:42 |
| #2 I have to seriously refrain... Very wise, JFM. Different cultures have different rules. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2013-12-30 13:26 |
| #1 I have to seriously refrain for not making half a dozen bad jokes involving Niger with one g and with two gs |
| Posted by: JFM 2013-12-30 08:50 |