The overthrow of Niger's President Mamadou Tandja should have come as no surprise to anyone paying close attention to the country's political stage. Niger, a land-locked country in northern Africa the size of Spain, France and Portugal combined, is one of the world's most impoverished, which ironically may be the reason that its inhabitants have clung so tenaciously to their democracy. So when Tandja began to chip away at it, seeking to remove term limits so that he could stay in office indefinitely, dissolving a high court that ruled against him, shutting down a radio and TV station and arresting opposition politicians, the public began to speak up in opposition, a habit gleaned from 10 years of democracy in a decidedly undemocratic part of the world. When the military finally stepped in last week and arrested Tandja and most of his Cabinet, the move was greeted by popular celebrations. The people have shown that they have far more trust in the army and its promises for a swift return to democracy than in Tandja's “gradual coup”. In much of Africa, the rule of law is a tenuous concept, and in any part of the world military coups are always met with skepticism when promises of returning power to the people are made. The nature of any military is force, which is not conducive to popular rule. For now, the world will keep its fingers crossed that Niger's military will live up to its stated goals. It may also want to ensure that the impoverished people of Niger get what they deserve from enormous mining operations under development in the northern part of the country. Significant reserves of uranium have been discovered there and the French and Chinese are already working to extract it as the increased focus on nuclear energy has made the so-called “yellow cake” extremely valuable. The French and Chinese certainly deserve to profit from their efforts there but no one should forget that that uranium belongs to the people of Niger. And their admirable behavior in supporting a functioning government of, for and by the people is just one more reason to ensure that they are the ones to profit most. __
