Barcourgné Courmo (1916 – 16 November 1993) was a

Niger Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...

ien politician and diplomat. Courmo was

Finance Minister A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfoli ...

and chair of the ruling party politburo in the 1960s, as well as the Foreign Minister of Niger briefly in 1970 under

Hamani Diori Hamani Diori (6 June 1916 – 23 April 1989) was the first President of the Republic of Niger. He was appointed to that office in 1960, when Niger gained independence from France. Although corruption was a common feature of his administration, ...

Early career

Courmo was closely involved with Diori during the independence struggle, serving as Secretary General of the PPN from 1946 to 1955. He was of Djerma ethnicity, born in the western city of Say, and attended the elite Ecole William Ponty in

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The Departments of Senegal, department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 mill ...

during

French Colonial rule The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas colonies, protectorates, and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "First French colonial empire", that ex ...

Ruling party

Serving in a number of local and national posts during the transition from French rule, Courmo became

in the PPN administration of 1958, holding that post in the first independent government of 1970. In 1965 he became chair of the PPN politburo, and from 1971 to 1972, first chair of the Nigerien Economic and Social Council (CESOC).Les Membres du premier Conseil Economique et Social de la Republique du Niger
. CESOC official site, dated April 2006. Accessed 2009-05-20. A powerful figure, Courmo was one of a handful of Diori's inner circle during the period of one party rule.

Fall

Courmo fell from power in 1972 when he acted in support of an abortive military coup, itself crushed almost immediately by the

Nigerien Armed Forces The Niger Armed Forces (, FAN) includes military armed force service branches (Niger Army and Niger Air Force), paramilitary services branches ( National Gendarmerie of Niger and National Guard of Niger) and the National Police of Niger. The ...

. He was quietly forced into retirement, becoming one of only two members of the PPN politburo to be dropped prior to the 1974 end of the Diori regime.

References

*Samuel Decalo. Historical Dictionary of Niger (3rd ed.). Scarecrow Press, Boston & Folkestone, (1997) p. 105 1916 births 1993 deaths Ministers of council of Niger Foreign ministers of Niger Finance ministers of Niger 20th-century Nigerien politicians Zarma-Songhai people {{Niger-politician-stub