After a failed democratic experiment in 1993-96 and two military coups, Niger successfully held free and fair elections in 1999. The next couple of years will be crucial to the long-term survival of democracy.
About the Authors
John Uniack Davis
John Uniack Davis is development assistance coordinator at the U.S. Embassy in Niamey, Niger. Previously, he was a democratic governance consultant in Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Tanzania.
Aboubacar B. Kossomi is political assistant at the U.S. Embassy in Niger. The views expressed in this article are the authors’ own and should not be taken as an expression of U.S. government policy.
Despite sweeping political and constitutional changes in Africa, a notable feature of the ancien régime survives—the imperial presidency. African presidents may be term-limited, but they have not been tamed.
The use of force and intimidation against women trying to take part in politics is a growing problem in many places. Such violence assumes a number of different forms, but…
