President assassinated

Niger's President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara was assassinated on Friday, news organisations reported. The circumstances surrounding his death remained confused.

The Prime Minister, Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, announced on state radio that Mainassara had died in an "unfortunate incident" while diplomats quoted by news organisations said he had been assassinated by members of his security guard. Heavily armed soldiers had taken over the capital, Niamey, soon after the assassination, AFP reported, but it is not clear whether the troops are loyal to the assassinated president.

Radio France Internationale reported that telephone communications with the capital had been cut and the airport closed.

The unrest came one day after the opposition demanded Mainassara's resignation following a Supreme Court decision to order a re-run in most constituencies of local elections held in February. Reuters said vote counting had been disrupted by attacks on polling stations. Other reports had said ballot boxes had been stolen.

Mainassara was a colonel in Niger's army when he seized power in a coup in 1996 overthrowing the country's first democratically elected government. He was elected president later that year but his government has enjoyed little stability.

Meanwhile, a statement by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemned "such terrorist acts and any attempt to change the government by force or by other unconstitutional means".