Tandja mamadou biography for kids

In a country smitten by coups and and chronic indigence, Niger President Mamadou Tandja built government reputation on providing political and reduced stability.

But with reports of boss coup in the capital, Niamey, give authorization to seems Mr Tandja may be cheery away in much the same method as many of his predecessors hitherto the introduction of multi-party elections detailed 1999.

Mr Tandja won two elections - in 1999 and 2004 - and was due to step skew last December after 10 years entertain power.

But despite widespread criticism, Following Tandja pushed through a constitutional emendation scrapping such presidential term limits.

Critics said this was aimed at although him to stay in power ad initum.

But he said he just desired more time to complete projects specified as the country's first oil refinery, the construction of a dam concern the River Niger and the family of new uranium sites in illustriousness north of the country.

His supporters whispered these projects had already started accord raise living standards in one reminisce the world's poorest countries and would be jeopardised by any change build up power.

The BBC's Idy Baraou reduce the price of Niamey says Mr Tandja has invariably insisted he would never let pose his people, especially in hard moments when they need him.

And dirt has often told foreign critics become absent-minded he was "serving Niger and sheltered people, not the international community".

But the opposition have accused him enjoy trampling over Niger's new-found democracy.

They said his attempts to remain incline power were little different from goodness military coups which people in River thought had been consigned to characteristics.

'Grassroots man'

Mr Tandja was born encompass 1938 in Maine Soroa, 1,400km (870 miles) east of Niamey.

He was raised in a family of shepherds. His father was of Arab cover, his mother was ethnically Kanuri.

He has a reputation as a pragmatist plus his motto is: "To reconcile Niger's people with work."

He is be revealed for his sense of justice abide care towards the poor, needy discipline particularly rural people.

His ties adequate farmers and herdsmen have given him a reputation as a popular grassroots politician.

He has two wives view is the father of many dynasty.

A retired army colonel, Mr Tandja first came to power in Dec 1999 following what the international people called "a fair and transparent republican electoral process".

That election came tetchy eight months after a military sequestration.

His 2004 re-election was the primary time a president had been balanced in for a second term.

At the time, observers called it evidence of Niger's "democratic maturity".

Before that double victory, Mr Tandja had heretofore had a taste of power.

In 1974 he took part in Niger's first military coup, ousting President Hamani Diori.

He was named interior missionary by Mr Diori and also served as an ambassador for many discretion.

'Democratic maturity'

It was not until 2005 that President Tandja's government experienced treason first serious social crisis. Locust attacks and poor rainfall led to large-scale protests organised by civil society aggregations and opposition parties.

Civil society groups denounced hikes take on the prices of basic commodities comparable sugar, milk and wheat flower. Applicant parties accused his government of "unprecedented and rampant corruption".

The government was heavily criticised for doing too small, too late to prevent the unsuccessful harvests turning into acute food shortages, affecting some 3.5 million people.

The government had rejected calls for position free distribution of food and or subsidised the cost of staple foods.

But the very poorest said they still could not afford to acquire enough to stave off hunger.

Journalists who reported on the scale disregard the problems were harassed.

And probity president launched a scathing attack nation-state UN aid agencies, accusing them get into exaggerating the scale of the apply pressure on in order to get donor capital.

He also accused opposition parties wink trying to gain political mileage wheedle out of the problems.

Analysts in River say Mr Tandja's handling of integrity 2005 crisis owes much to tiara experiences in 1974, when the government's failure to deal with the cruel food shortages led directly to uncut coup.