Seyni Kountché

General Seyni Kountché
President of Niger
Supreme Military Council
In office 17 April 1974 – 10 November 1987
Prime Minister	Mamane Oumarou
Preceded by	Hamani Diori
Succeeded by	Ali Saibou
Personal details
Born	(1931-07-01)1 July 1931 Fandou, Major General (Niger)

Seyni Kountché (1 July 1931 – 10 November 1987) was a

, Niger's national stadium in Niamey, is named after him.

Military career

Born in 1931 in the town of Damana Fandou, the child of

chief of staff

of the armed forces soon after. He was promoted to armed forces chief of staff in 1973.

Niger in 1974

During this same period, the newly independent country of Niger faced many problems. Politically, the nation was ruled as a one-party state led by president Hamani Diori. Opposition to the regime was suppressed, sometimes violently. A severe drought lasted from 1968 to 1974, leading to food shortages and growing dissatisfaction with the government. The economy remained weak despite attempts to exploit the large reserves of uranium in the country. Widespread civil disorder followed allegations that some government ministers were misappropriating stocks of food aid.

1974 coup

On 15 April 1974, Seyni Kountché led a military coup that ended Diori's rule. Kountché's first official acts were to suspend the

. Although political parties were outlawed, opposition activists who were exiled during Diori's regime were allowed to return to Niger.

Military governance

The military government's major preoccupation was planning an economic recovery. Generally amicable relations were maintained with France, and new links were formed with

states. Domestically, the country stabilized although personal and policy differences developed within the CMS. Plots to remove Kountché were thwarted in 1975 and again in 1976.

Return to constitutional governance

In 1981 Kountché began to increase civilian representation in the CMS, and in 1982 preparations were undertaken for a constitutional

, was appointed on 24 January 1983. One year later, in January 1984, he established a commission to draft a pre-constitutional document, termed a 'national charter'. It was later approved in a national referendum. The charter provided for the establishment of non-elective, consultative institutions at both national and local levels.

Economic tensions and repression

Economic adjustment efforts during this period were impeded by the recurrence of drought in 1984 and 1985 along with the closure of the land border with

May 1985

, following an armed incident near the Niger-Libya border, all non-Nigerien Tuaregs were expelled from the country.

Death

Kountché's health deteriorated in late 1986 and it continued to worsen during 1987. He died at a Paris hospital of a

Ali Saïbou

succeeded him and on 14 November 1987, he was appointed president of the Supreme Military Council (CMS).

References

• Decalo, Samuel (1997). Historical Dictionary of the Niger (3rd ed.). Boston & Folkestone: Scarecrow Press. pp. 189–190, 256.
  ISBN 0-8108-3136-8
  .

External links

• Visit of his excellency General Seyni Kountche includes text of speech Kountché made while in the US

Government offices
Preceded by Hamani Diori	President of Niger 1974–1987	Succeeded by Ali Saibou