Loyal troops quell mutinies in capital, eastern town

Calm returned to Niger's capital, Niamey, on Monday following an unsuccessful attempt by soldiers to seize control of three garrisons. The aborted uprising came two days after forces loyal to the state recaptured the eastern town of Diffa from mutineers. Security was stepped up on Monday at national radio and television in Niamey. An extraordinary cabinet meeting was called to examine the situation and President Tandja Mamadou was scheduled to address the nation in the evening. According to military sources, a group of commandos attempted to break into an arms depot between Sunday night and early Monday morning, but others informed their superior officers. The Ministry of Defence said in a communique that the "military high command had the situation under control from three a.m". It said "most of the soldiers involved in the action have been arrested. However, a few of them managed to flee (and) patrols are now after them". Prime Minister Hama Amadou said a few soldiers at the three garrisons had intended to mutiny but their officers had taken measures to prevent any bad surprises. "The situation is fully under control in all three companies," he said. Throughout the night gunfire could be heard around the barracks, causing panic in nearby residential areas. An inhabitant of Gamkale, a neighbourhood close to one of the barracks, said he and his family were unable to sleep on Sunday night. "We were very worried, our houses were shaking," he said. "They were using heavy weapons ... the sound of cannons made our houses shake." The government said an investigation had been launched into the incident. It called on inhabitants of Niamey to remain calm and go about their business. Markets and banks were open on Monday and public servants had reported to work. The disturbances in Niamey came on the heels of a mutiny in the Diffa Region, some 1,500 km east of the capital, during which soldiers took over barracks and took civilian and military authorities hostage. The soldiers began the mutiny on Wednesday to press demands for higher salaries, the payment of overdue allowances, improved living conditions in barracks and reduced prices in army canteens. Loyal troops led by Deputy Army Chief of Staff Col Mamadou Ousseni took control of Diffa town on Saturday. Radio Anfani, a private station, reported that loyalist forces suffered one dead and two wounded, while the mutineers withdrew to garrisons at Nguigmi and Ngourti, 130km and 250 km east of Diffa respectively. On Sunday, they freed two of their six hostages: the prefect of Diffa and the chief of N'Guigmi. This resulted from the efforts of a mediation committee set up by inhabitants of N'Guigmi. The prefect, who was accompanied to his home by the mediation committee, was instructed by the mutineers to reiterate their demands to the government. Hama said that "with regard to Diffa, it was never our intention to send soldiers to bombard a town that belongs to us", and that over the past two days the mutineers had been trying to create conditions for a peaceful settlement. "We're trying to move in the same direction, while maintaining the firmness needed to ensure that such events do not happen again," he added. Hama had said in a statement on Saturday on Tenere TV, a private television station, that it was "inadmissible" in a democracy for soldiers to take military and civilian authorities hostage and press demands of any kind. He said such "bad habits" in the army were left over from the context that gave rise to a national conference in 1991 that led to multiparty democracy. "The experience we've had makes some people feel that in a democratic system all fantasies and excesses are possible, whereas there is not a system more rigorous than democracy, in which everyone remains in his/her place and assumes his/her responsibilities," he said. "What is happening in the army is not the expression of a malaise, but simply the expression of bad habits that we have to eradicate in this country."