Filed under Current Events, Lefty by T. Miles on 10 October 2011 at 2:35 pm
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Today — the 10th of October — is World Mental Health Day. Take a moment to look through these photos from Niger, where Mahamadoul-kafi Djibrilla spoke at a community discussion of mental illness and treatment in Tahoua Region. Some might think that the least of rural Niger’s worries would be mental illness. But they’d [...]
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Filed under Afrique, Current Events by T. Miles on 11 March 2011 at 3:02 pm
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Saturday the 12th of March will see second round voting in Niger’s Presidential elections, marking a return to civilian rule and the beginning of the Seventh Republic. It seems certain that front runner and PNDS-Tarayya candidate Mahamadou Issoufou will become the first President of the new republic on 8 April when the military junta that [...]
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Filed under Blog, Current Events by T. Miles on 1 February 2011 at 5:09 pm
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The 31st of January saw Niger’s Legislative elections, combined with the first round of the Presidential elections. Results are not yet known, and the top two in the Presidential race will re-run on 14 March. Here’s some tools to follow it. The best immediate updates on the polls and count can be found at the [...]
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Filed under Afrique, Blog by T. Miles on 4 June 2010 at 4:03 pm
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Better choices for sunny afternoons: Outside the African Dance Fest in Brooklyn last week. It’s beautiful in New York, and the world if full of things to argue about. Here are three important issues I’ll have to get back to you on. While the world goes to hell in a handbasket, I have been trying [...]
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Filed under ..., Blog by T. Miles on 27 May 2010 at 7:23 pm
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Hopefully by now everyone knows that parts of West Africa, especially pockets of Chad and Niger, are struggling with the worst food shortages since 2005. Alex Thurston reports that international humanitarian agencies, as well as increasingly concerned governments, are now worried that this crisis is more generalized than first reported (last September), striking areas of [...]
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Filed under Blog, Featured by T. Miles on 25 May 2010 at 4:14 pm
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From 2005: “Drought has turned farmland into useless dirt…” Image via Wikipedia An unsigned editorial from Le Pays (Ouagadougou): A quite good reflection on the educational and other restrictions coming for future governments in Niger, but tying the famine. The papers in Niamey have little mention of the small farmers and herders Tahoua, Tillaberi, Diffa, [...]
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Filed under Blog, Niger by T. Miles on 13 March 2010 at 4:40 pm
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I’ve warned that, given the poor harvests and pastures, we can expect many incidents of communal and ethnic tension across the Sahel this year. The end of the formal insurgencies in both Niger and Mali last year also leaves a residue of unemployed armed men and grudges between communities.
One example of these risks is reported in Agadez‘s “Aïr Info journal” n°108 dated this week. On page 5 is the story of an attack by armed youth from Tchi-n-Tiguit (“Tchitintagatte”, about 50km south of Arlit, coincidentally in the middle of the new AREVA Imouraren mining concession) on their neighbors at Sekkiret (“Sikirat”, about 30km west of the famous Dabous Giraffe carvings).
Earlier this week, armed young men arrived at Sekkiret, firing in the air and chasing women and children out of their homes, but left before anyone was hurt. Sekkiret youths having returned home to frightened families, set off for revenge. The paper reports it was only the intervention of two former ministers (one from each community) and the local chieftaincy which ensured security forces were quickly dispatched to calm the situation.
The cause: Sekkiret youths had reputedly harassed Tchi-n-Tiguit two years ago during the insurgency. There is no indication here of ethnicity, but that history, and the name Tchi-n-Tiguit, suggests a community of Tamasheq speakers some Tuareg caste, subgroup, or related community). Some towns in the area – like Ingall – are populated by Songhai speakers, dating back to the time when they were outposts of the Malian and Songhay Empires. Others are made up of former Tamasheq bonded communities who still bear grudges against some higher caste communities. These groups are normally peacefully intermixed, along with other groups, tribes, caste communities, and Tuareg confederations. But in times of stress, as we’ve seen from Sarajevo to Jos, people do find enemies even among neighbors.
Aïr Info concludes: “The inhabitants of these villages, brothers since time immemorial, have now become two blocs that risk, if we do not take care, of turning on each other! The state must quickly find a solution to this problem which has already gone on too long!”
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Filed under Featured, Niger by T. Miles on 13 March 2010 at 1:58 am
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As I noted on the 10th of March, the CSRD junta in Niger has replaced all the civilian Region Governors with military men to administer local affairs during the transition. We now have the full list, and while I for one hate to see any military governing, a careful look at the men (all men) coming and going in Niger’s Regions gives us an opportunity to examine what’s going on behind the scenes, and what it augurs for the future.
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Filed under Featured, Niger by T. Miles on 6 March 2010 at 12:22 am
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Nigeriens were – are – undoubtedly pleased that the army stepped in to end a newly installed dictatorship. But criticisms of this so called “good coup” are beginning to appear even amongst its strongest supporters. With many months of transitional rule ahead, these whispers give us some idea of the problems the junta will soon face.
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Filed under Featured, Niger by T. Miles on 23 February 2010 at 5:28 pm
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The new military Junta in Niger has released their first real vision of their promised return to democracy. Niger’s expectations, a redux of recent history, are being played to by the soldiers.
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Filed under Artsy Fartsy, Featured by T. Miles on 3 February 2010 at 8:23 pm
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“Poets are feared by those in power that use violence, who are prosperous at the expense of the collective suffering.” – Adamou Idé
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Filed under Featured, Niger by T. Miles on 3 December 2009 at 5:39 pm
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Niger’s rulers would have expected this to be wrapped up by now, with the previous legal deadline for a new president to pass on the 22nd with a shrug. But fears (or hopes) remain that some of those most loyal to the project are looking to abandon their President
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Filed under Featured, Niger by T. Miles on 11 November 2009 at 11:27 pm
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As the “Abuja I” talks begin with ECOWAS, President Tandja of Niger is increasingly backed into a political and financial corner. Will his “6th Republic” be sacrificed as a way out?
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Filed under Afrique, Do this by T. Miles on 24 August 2009 at 3:54 pm
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Please demand the release of these activists.
A sample letter, addresses, and statements by Nigerien and international rights groups are below.
Further links to background material follows sample letter and statements.
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Filed under Afrique, Featured by T. Miles on 10 July 2009 at 8:55 pm
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The President of Niger releases his “new” constitution. Can the opposition slow him down?
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Filed under Featured, Niger by T. Miles on 2 July 2009 at 6:30 pm
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Foreign governments are beginning to put public pressure of Tandja Mamadou, following his seizure of the power last Friday. Did anyone mention oil?
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Filed under Featured, Niger by T. Miles on 1 July 2009 at 12:55 am
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I’ve been waiting for the United States and Canadian governments to weigh in on the Nigerien political crisis. Today France released a less than pointed statement, accusing Nigerien government policies of “being outside the constitution”, while the EU was a little firmer, mentioning the cash it provides Niamey. Although members have expressed concern over Tandja’s [...]
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Filed under Featured, French by T. Miles on 30 June 2009 at 8:24 pm
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While reporters continue to carefully attribute the title “Coup d’Etat” to leaders of Niger’s opposition, events of the last 24 hours make it hard to spin the current situation in any other way.
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Filed under Featured, Lefty by T. Miles on 29 June 2009 at 9:00 pm
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This was the weekend for Coups: was the death of Michael Jackson assumed to distract us all? Regardless, a couple of Nigeriens have pointed out the uncanny similarities between the situation of President of Honduras Manuel Zelaya and President of Niger Mamadou Tandja. Despite this, both crises are intimately linked to the history of these [...]
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Filed under Featured, Niger by T. Miles on 27 June 2009 at 12:41 am
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In a radio speech to the nation on Friday night (the sabbath), President Tandja announced he was dissolving the government and would rule by decree.
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Filed under Featured, Niger by T. Miles on 26 June 2009 at 9:32 pm
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Just when you’d like to put it to bed, the constitutional crisis in Niger continues, weaving like a distracted taxi driver: from sigh to scream and back again. I’ll focus a bit on three events of importance. After Tandja sent out a letter lecturing the Constiutional Court on their decision to stop his referendum, his [...]
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