On the border of Libya lies a country that can now serve as an example for democratic transition inaugurated by the military. In early 2010, the military of Niger ousted autocratic President Mamadou Tandja who had ruled for 10 years and was widely unpopular. The military coup was met with widespread scorn in the region, but on March 14th, 2011, the ruling military junta proved its critics wrong by overseeing a peaceful run-off election where long time opposition leader Mahamadou Issoufou received 58 percent of the vote and will therefore assume the title and position of President when the military steps aside. Niger’s military recognizes their crucial role in democratization and has expressed their willingness to serve as an example; General Salou Djibo, the man who has led the military junta for the last year has praised the run-off vote “as an example to the rest of Africa.”
The military has promised to resume their traditional role by April; although the peaceful transition of power has yet to be fully enacted, the democratization process in Niger can serve as a template beyond Africa, it can serve as an example for Middle Eastern countries experiencing their own political turmoil and processes of democratization.
Perhaps the country that should focus most on emulating Niger’s transitional process is the fellow African nation of Egypt. Although the Egyptian military did not openly overthrow Mubarak, it is likely that behind the closed doors of autocratic politics, the army assumed an important role in his ouster. Mubarak handed over leadership of the country to the highly revered military establishment and the Egyptian people placed their full faith behind the military to develop a new Constitution and framework for the governance of the historically regal country. As Egypt progresses towards free and fair elections and civilian rule, the military ought to take at least a page of, if not the entire, playbook of Niger’s peaceful transition from autocratic rule, to a military junta administration to civilian governorship.
Although Niger’s economic situation is immensely different than Egypt’s – Niger is one of Africa’s poorest countries – the religious issues and tensions and access to natural resources are scarcely different. Niger is continuously confronted with the encroachment of radicalized Islam and has large reserves of uranium. The country views democratization and the inclusion of civil society as an answer to radicalized Islam and corruption within the uranium market. In similar fashion, Egypt must integrate the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist organizations into the democratic arena in order to avoid widespread and rampant violent radicalization and must establish a revenue sharing and anti-corruption system for oil, natural gas and other resource exportation.
Niger is weeks, if not months, ahead of where Egypt stands today. If the democratic transition in Niger continues to follow the established plan and maintains adherence to a timely transition from military rule to civilian leadership, Egypt and other democratizing nations emerging from military rule should admire what Niger has accomplished and emulate a similar process in which the military serves as a safeguard of democracy and an insurer of liberty.
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Niger: A Surprising Model for Democratic Transition
March 17, 2011
On the border of Libya lies a country that can now serve as an example for democratic transition inaugurated by the military. In early 2010, the military of Niger ousted autocratic President Mamadou Tandja who had ruled for 10 years and was widely unpopular. The military coup was met with widespread scorn in the region, but on March 14th, 2011, the ruling military junta proved its critics wrong by overseeing a peaceful run-off election where long time opposition leader Mahamadou Issoufou received 58 percent of the vote and will therefore assume the title and position of President when the military steps aside. Niger’s military recognizes their crucial role in democratization and has expressed their willingness to serve as an example; General Salou Djibo, the man who has led the military junta for the last year has praised the run-off vote “as an example to the rest of Africa.”
The military has promised to resume their traditional role by April; although the peaceful transition of power has yet to be fully enacted, the democratization process in Niger can serve as a template beyond Africa, it can serve as an example for Middle Eastern countries experiencing their own political turmoil and processes of democratization.
Perhaps the country that should focus most on emulating Niger’s transitional process is the fellow African nation of Egypt. Although the Egyptian military did not openly overthrow Mubarak, it is likely that behind the closed doors of autocratic politics, the army assumed an important role in his ouster. Mubarak handed over leadership of the country to the highly revered military establishment and the Egyptian people placed their full faith behind the military to develop a new Constitution and framework for the governance of the historically regal country. As Egypt progresses towards free and fair elections and civilian rule, the military ought to take at least a page of, if not the entire, playbook of Niger’s peaceful transition from autocratic rule, to a military junta administration to civilian governorship.
Although Niger’s economic situation is immensely different than Egypt’s – Niger is one of Africa’s poorest countries – the religious issues and tensions and access to natural resources are scarcely different. Niger is continuously confronted with the encroachment of radicalized Islam and has large reserves of uranium. The country views democratization and the inclusion of civil society as an answer to radicalized Islam and corruption within the uranium market. In similar fashion, Egypt must integrate the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist organizations into the democratic arena in order to avoid widespread and rampant violent radicalization and must establish a revenue sharing and anti-corruption system for oil, natural gas and other resource exportation.
Niger is weeks, if not months, ahead of where Egypt stands today. If the democratic transition in Niger continues to follow the established plan and maintains adherence to a timely transition from military rule to civilian leadership, Egypt and other democratizing nations emerging from military rule should admire what Niger has accomplished and emulate a similar process in which the military serves as a safeguard of democracy and an insurer of liberty.
