General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara (May 9, 1949 – April 9, 1999) was a military officer and diplomat in
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languageshis seizure of power in 1996 until his assassination during the military coup of April 1999.
Baré Maïnassara, a Maouri, a subgroup of Niger's
Hausa
Hausa may refer to:
* Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa
* Hausa language, spoken in West Africa
* Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states
* Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse
See also
...
ethnic majority, was born in
Dogondoutchi
Dongondoutchi ("High Hill", also nicknamed Doutchi) is a commune in Niger. It is located about 300 km east of the capital Niamey and 40 km from the Nigerian border. It lies on national route 1 which links the capital to the towns of ...
in 1949, and pursued a military career. Maïnassara was named Army Chief of Staff in March 1995, under a constitution which had moved Niger from military rule in 1991.
Political conflict
Parliamentary elections in January 1995 resulted in
cohabitation
Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not married, usually couples, live together. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become increas ...
between President
Mahamane Ousmane
Mahamane Ousmane (born 20 January 1950), press release no. 179, is a Nigerien politician. He was the first democratically elected and fourth President of Niger, serving from 16 April 1993, U.S. Department of State. until he was deposed in a mili ...
and a parliament controlled by his opponents, led by Prime Minister
Hama Amadou
Hama Amadou (born 1949) is a Nigerien politician who was Prime Minister of Niger from 1995 to 1996 and again from 2000 to 2007. He was also Secretary-General of the National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD-Nassara) from 1991 to 200 ...
.Jibrin Ibrahim and Abdoulayi Niandou Souley "The rise to power of an opposition party: the MNSD in Niger Republic" Unisa Press, Politeia, Vol. 15, No. 3, 1996.
Rivalry between Ousmane and Amadou effectively paralyzed the government, and Maïnassara seized power on January 27, 1996, pointing to the difficult political situation as justification.Kaye Whiteman "Obituary: Ibrahim Bare Mainassara" ''The Independent'' (London), April 12, 1999.
Rule of Niger
Under Maïnassara's rule, a new constitution was approved by referendum in May 1996, and a presidential election was held on July 7–8, 1996. Maïnassara took about 52% of the vote, but the election was widely viewed as fraudulent. On the second day of polling he had the electoral commission dissolved and replaced it with another electoral commission; on the same day, he also had the four opposition candidates placed under house arrest, which lasted for two weeks."Niger: A major step backwards" , Amnesty International, October 16, 1996. Maïnassara was sworn in on August 7.
The National Union of Independents for Democratic Renewal (UNIRD) was established in 1996 to support Maïnassara in that year's elections, but subsequently the Rally for Democracy and Progress-Jama'a was established as the ruling party. With the constitution barring presidents from leading parties,
Hamid Algabid
Hamid Algabid (born 1941) is a Nigerien politician and the President of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP-Jama'a) party. A lawyer, banker, and technocrat, Algabid was an important figure in the regime of Seyni Kountché, serving as Prime ...
became leader of the RDP-Jama'a in August 1997.
Local elections were held in February 1999, and in early April the Supreme Court released results which showed the opposition winning more seats than Maïnassara's supporters; the Court also cancelled the results in many areas and ordered elections there to be held again."Rapport de la Mission D'Oberservation des Elections Presidentelles et Legislatives des 17 Octobre et 24 Novembre 1999" democratie.francophonie.org . The opposition called for protests against the cancellation of results on April 8.
Death
On April 9, 1999, Maïnassara was ambushed and shot to death by soldiers, reportedly members of the Presidential Guard, at the airport in the capital city of
Niamey
Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital di ...
as he was going to board a helicopter attempting to flee the country. The circumstances of the killing were not clear; rumors suggested that Maïnassara was attempting to flee the country. Initially his death was officially described as an "unfortunate accident", but this claim was widely considered implausible."Niger: The people of Niger have the right to truth and justice" , Amnesty International, April 6, 2000."New military leader for Niger" BBC News, April 12, 1999."Military rule ends in Niger" BBC News, December 22, 1999. Coup leader
Daouda Malam Wanké
Daouda Malam Wanké (May 6, 1946 – September 15, 2004) was a military and political leader in Niger. He was a member of Hausa ethnic group.
Wanké's year of birth is disputed. Many sources claim it is 1954 while others 1946.
Biography
He was ...
succeeded him as head of state and initiated a political transition that ended with elections late in the year.
The constitution adopted in a July 1999 referendum provides for an
amnesty
Amnesty (from the Ancient Greek ἀμνηστία, ''amnestia'', "forgetfulness, passing over") is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power offici ...