Political Rights: 4
Civil Liberties: 4
Status: Partly Free
Population: 12,100,000
GNI/Capita: $180
Life Expectancy: 45
Religious Groups: Muslim (80 percent), other [including indigenous beliefs and Christian] (20 percent)
Ethnic Groups: Hausa (56 percent), Djerma (22 percent), Fula (9 percent), Tuareg (8 percent), BerBer (4 percent), other (1 percent)
Capital: Niamey


Overview

The government of Niger continued to infringe on freedom of the press in 2003 with the detention of several journalists. The sentencing of one journalist to six months in prison for defamation led to protests by members of the political opposition and civil society that were not repressed by the authorities.

After gaining independence from France in 1960, Niger was governed for 30 years by one-party and military regimes dominated by leaders of Hausa or Djerma ethnicity. After 13 years of direct military rule, Niger was transformed into a nominally civilian, one-party state in 1987 under General Ali Seibou. International pressure and pro-democracy demonstrations led by the umbrella organization Niger Union of Trade Union Workers forced Niger's rulers to accede to the Africa-wide trend toward democratization in 1990. An all-party national conference drafted a new constitution that was adopted in a national referendum in 1992.

Mahamane Ousmane, of the Alliance of Forces for Change, won a five-year term as the country's first democratically elected president in 1993 in elections deemed to be free and fair. General Ibrahim Bare Mainassara overthrew Ousmane in January 1996 and won fraudulent elections six months later. Parliamentary elections in November were held in an atmosphere of intense intimidation and were boycotted by most opposition parties.

In April 1999, Mainassara was assassinated by members of the presidential guard. The head of the guard led a transitional government that held a constitutional referendum in July and national elections in November. In the presidential election, Mamadou Tandja won in a second round of polling with 60 percent of the vote, defeating former president Ousmane. Tandja's party, the National Movement for the Development of Society, and its partner, the Democratic and Social Convention, achieved a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly by winning 55 of the 83 seats. The other coalition – the Nigerian Party for Democracy and Socialism, and the Rally for Democracy and Progress – won the remaining 28 seats. Both elections were deemed to be free and fair by international observers.

Although press freedom continued to suffer in 2003, the authorities did not respond with a crackdown against demonstrators who protested the sentencing of a journalist to prison. Opposition members of parliament tabled a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Hama Amadou for poor management and threats to press freedom; the motion was defeated. Fifteen independent radio stations were also closed, but the move appeared to stem from a disagreement over protocol rather than a desire to limit press freedom. However, President Tandja warned the media against airing programs that could "disturb the social peace and public order."

Niger is struggling to implement unpopular structural reforms. The economy is based mainly on subsistence farming, small trading, herding, and informal markets. Uranium is the most important export, but world demand has declined. Niger drew international attention in 2003 because of U.S. claims that Iraq had approached the country to acquire uranium for its nuclear program. The claims were later proven to have been unfounded.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties

The people of Niger can change their government democratically. Both the presidential and legislative polls in November 1999 were considered to be free and fair. In 2003, members of the opposition criticized President Mamadou Tandja for what they said was an attempt to drive through a revision of the country's electoral law without the consultation of opposition parties. A new law would no longer oblige government ministers to resign before seeking electoral office. It would also abolish a requirement that the head of the Independent National Electoral Commission be a judge or magistrate.

Constitutional protections for free expression are guaranteed, but these rights are not always guaranteed in practice. Criminal penalties are exacted for violations such as slander. A government newspaper and several private publications circulate. There are dozens of private radio stations, some of which broadcast in local languages. Parliament opened a radio station in 2001 as the Voice of the National Assembly. In 2003, authorities closed 15 independent radio stations, but the move appeared to stem from a dispute over how licenses were issued, rather than from a desire to limit press freedom. The government does not restrict Internet access, although service frequently has technical difficulties.

The government restricted press freedom in 2003 with the detention of several journalists. Maman Abou, director of the weekly Le Republicain, was tried in absentia and his lawyers were not told of his trial, according to Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres. He was arrested in November and found guilty of defamation for an article alleging that the government awarded contracts to several businesses close to the prime minister without going through the competitive bidding process. He was sentenced to six months in jail. Three journalists from Anfani FM were briefly detained in November for broadcasting information about a conflict between farmers and cattle herders. The publication director of the weekly L'Enqueteur received a one-year suspended sentence and was banished from the capital for an article that authorities said incited ethnic hatred.

Freedom of religion is respected, although, at times, Muslims have not been tolerant of the rights of minority religions to practice their faith. Islam is practiced by 80 percent of the population. The government in 2000 banned six fundamentalist-oriented organizations following rioting by fundamentalist groups. Academic freedom is guaranteed but is not always respected. Officials closed the Abdou Moumouni University for two weeks in October following student protests over scholarship arrears and other problems.

Constitutional guarantees of freedom of assembly and association are generally respected. The University of Niamey was closed for two weeks in October because of student demonstrations and strikes over funding problems. Human rights and other nongovernmental organizations operate openly and freely in Niger and publish reports that are often highly critical of the government. Niger's workers have the right to form unions and bargain for wages, although more than 95 percent of the workforce is employed in the nonunionized subsistence agricultural and small-trading sectors.

The constitution provides for an independent judiciary, and courts have shown signs of independence. However, the judiciary is overburdened, limited by scant training and resources, and occasionally subject to executive interference and other outside influence. Efforts at reform are underway. Respect for human rights has improved under the government of President Tandja. However, prolonged pretrial detention remains a problem. Prisons are characterized by overcrowding and poor health and sanitary conditions. The International Committee of the Red Cross and other humanitarian groups have unrestricted access to prisons and detention centers.

Discrimination against ethnic minorities persists, despite constitutional protections. The Hausa and Djerma ethnic groups dominate government and business. Tandja is the country's first president who is from neither group. Nomadic peoples, such as the Tuaregs and many Peul, continue to have less access to government services.

Women suffer extensive societal discrimination, especially in rural areas. Family law gives women inferior status in property, inheritance rights, and divorce. In the east, some women among the Hausa and Peul ethnic groups are cloistered and may leave their homes only if escorted by a male and usually only after dark. Domestic violence against women is reportedly widespread. Sexual harassment and performing female genital mutilation (FGM) were made illegal in 2001. The law against FGM was rescinded and was under review in 2003. Several women's rights organizations operate in the country.

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