Niger Unrest Could Be Attempt to Control Uranium Supply
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Related subjects: Africa, Arms Proliferation, Diplomacy & Politics, Evelyn Winston Pérez, Rights & Freedoms, Security & Surveillance, The Vote Comments (3)
Niger is the third leading source of uranium in the world, after Canada and Australia. Uranium accounts for as much as 70% of Niger’s export revenue. Pres. Mamadou Tandja ordered a referendum be held to amend the constitution, permitting him to remain in office. That order was overturned by the nation’s constitutional court, which Tandja subsequently dissolved, replacing the justices with jurists he believed would be more favorable to his interests.
Tandja also dissolved Parliament, after legislators sought to block his efforts to alter the constitution. Now, several opposition parties have joined together in pledging to withdraw their members from the Independent Electoral Commission, thus delegitimizing any effort by Tandja to use the body to call a referendum to extend his term in office.
Abdullahi Jauri, a member of the dissolved parliament, says Tandja does not have the power to dismiss the justices or replace them, as the constitution holds that they cannot be removed. Jauri says the opposition must take on the political risk and do anything in their power to oppose Tandja’s efforts to change the law to extend his term.
Moumouni Hamidou, chair of the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), says the referendum will be held on 4 August. Mr. Hamidou said “As for legal aspects, everything is OK thanks to the president who implemented Article 53 of the constitution of August 9th 1999 in pursuance of a prerogative given to him…as head of State”, despite the decisive position of the political opposition, the Parliament and the Constitutional Court, that such a move would in fact be illegal.
There have been rumors of maneuvering between the government and the opposition to win the favor of military chiefs, to stop the opposing side from seeking to implement their agenda. The opposition alleges that Tandja’s acts amount to a hostile flouting of the constitution, effectively an attempted coup cloaked in legalistic proceedings not founded in law, and Tandja is escalating rhetoric alleging the opposition is plotting to overthrow him.
Now, Afrique en ligne is reporting:
The deputy secretary-general of the Niger Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS-Taraya), Mr Hassoumi Massaoudou, on Tuesday urged Nigeriens to boycott the referendum polls, scheduled for 4 August, by President Mamadou Tandja.
“The people do not need a referendum whose results are known in advance. This referendum should not take place. We will do everything possible to prevent it. We will create such a situation that it will take place in an extremely difficult condition,” Massaoudou threatened at a news conference here.
The back story, which has received less attention, is what the effect would be of significant unrest in Niger on the world’s supply of uranium, produced to fuel nuclear reactors. While France officially administers the Niger uranium industry, in an oversight agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (the UN’s nuclear regulator), some observers fear Tandja’s political maneuvering could amount to an attempt to exert extraordinary control over the nation’s valuable uranium resources.
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