Former Niger President, Mamadou Tandja Dies At 82

Niger’s former president Mamadou Tandja, ousted from power in 2010 after attempting to stay on beyond a two-term limit, has died, the government in capital Niamey said Tuesday.

In a statement read out on public television, serving President Mahamadou Issoufou’s office said the 82-year-old’s death would be marked by “three days of mourning throughout the national territory”.

From 1999, Tandja headed a civilian government that replaced a short-lived military junta.

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But after he changed the constitution in a bid to cling on to power 10 years later, he was toppled by the army in February 2010, paving the way for Issoufou to claim the presidency in a 2011 election.

AFP