Niger president seeks to extend rule

Niger voted on Tuesday in a referendum the president hopes will give him a mandate to change the constitution and rule beyond the end of his term. Mamadou Tandja’s growing authoritarianism has raised fears of unrest in Africa’s second biggest uranium producer.

The European Union on Tuesday warned that Mr Tandja’s actions could lead it to cut aid.

“It is quite clear that, without any immediate, new and encouraging signs, the current actions of the president will almost certainly lead to a freezing of our development assistance which amounts to €480m over the period 2009-13,” said a spokesman for Louis Michel, the EU development commissioner.

In recent months, the president has governed by decree after dissolving parliament and disregarding the Supreme Court’s ruling against his plans to extend his stay in office beyond a two-term limit.

“In voting today [Tuesday], I believe I have responded to the will of the people, who have asked me to remain as head of state,” Mr Tandja said after casting his vote in Niamey, the capital.

Many observers see the developments as a further blow to African democracy following recent coups in Mauritania, Guinea and Madagascar.

Mr Tandja has ruled the west African nation, whose 15m people endure some of the worst living conditions in the world, for a decade, and is seeking an initial three-year extension of his term.

He says he needs to retain power in order to oversee the completion of recent large investments.

Niger’s plentiful stocks of uranium have attracted serious interest recently.

In January, Areva of France announced a €1.2bn ($1.7bn, £1bn) mine, which it said would double Niger’s production, making it the world’s second-biggest source of uranium.

A year ago, China agreed a $5bn pact with the government to explore for oil. Nearby nations are rich in crude.

In his bid to retain power, the president has left little to chance, with state media supportive of his campaign.

“This is a classic case of what happens when you have possibilities of good-rent extraction from resources,” said Alex Vines, an Africa expert at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London.

Regional bodies have joined donors in condemnation.

The opposition urged supporters to boycott the vote and the country’s strong trade unions have also taken a stand against the move.

David Zounmenou, analyst at South Africa’s Institute for Security Studies, said Mr Tandja’s power rested on the loyalty of the military’s top brass.

However, he warned that several recent African putsches had seen middle-ranking officers overthrow governments.

“Tandja is ignoring the political forces [against him],” Mr Zounmenou added.