Ali Saibou
Encyclopedia
Ali Saibou was the third President of Niger from 1987 to 1993 succeeding the deceased Seyni Kountché
.
A member of the Djerma
people, he was born in Dingajibanda, a village in the Ouallam
arrondissement. Although from Kountché's home village, Saibou is not a cousin. He became interested in a military career early on, and attended the Saint-Louis
preparatory school in Senegal
from 1954, then joined the First Senegalese Tirailleurs Regiment
. He saw action in Cameroon
in 1960, and was wounded there.
Upon Niger's independence in 1960, Saibou was transferred to the new Niger Army as a sergeant
. He attended officers' school, and in 1969 was put in command of a unit at N'Guigmi
. After moving to a new unit in Agadez
in 1973, he attained the rank of captain. Saibou threw in his lot with Kountché in the coup of April 1974, and brought his troops from Agadez to Niamey
. As a reward he was promoted to major
, appointed to the cabinet as minister of rural economy and the environment, and on 20 November 1974, made chief of staff.
However, Kountché was suspicious of Saibou. In June 1975, he dismissed Saibou from the cabinet and asked him to relinquish his command of the armed forces. Saibou countered by asking to be retired from the service altogether, an act which apparently allayed Kountché's fears. Saibou remained loyal until Kountché's death, which occurred on 10 November 1987.
Saibou then secured his nomination by the Supreme Military Council
as Kountché's successor, subsequently sending military rivals overseas with diplomatic tasks, and establishing the National Movement for the Development of Society
(MNSD) as the sole political party in Niger. In 1989, he had a new constitution approved and ran as the sole presidential candidate in December.
In the early part of 1990, unrest by students and a Tuareg assault on Tchin Tabaraden led to a National Conference of 1991 that ultimately dismantled military rule, leaving Saibou mostly ineffective. At an MNSD party congress in March 1991, Saibou was able to retain his position as party leader, particularly benefiting from the support of the army. However, later in the year the National Conference barred Saibou from running in the planned presidential election, and at another MNSD congress in November 1991 he was replaced as party leader by Tandja Mamadou
. After the election of Mahamane Ousmane
as president in March 1993, Saibou left office on April 16 and retired to his home village. Ali Saibou died on 31 October 2011.
Seyni Kountché
Seyni Kountché was a Nigerien military officer who led a 1974 coup d'état that deposed the government of Niger's first president, Hamani Diori. He ruled the country as military head of state from 1974 to 1987...
.
A member of the Djerma
Djerma
The Zarma people , are a people of westernmost Niger and adjacent areas of Burkina Faso, Benin, Ghana and Nigeria. The Zarma language is one of the Songhai languages, a branch of the Nilo-Saharan language family...
people, he was born in Dingajibanda, a village in the Ouallam
Ouallam
Ouallam is a town in southwestern Niger. It is around 300 km north of Niamey, is the capital of Ouallam Department, one of four in the Tillabery Region.-Culture:...
arrondissement. Although from Kountché's home village, Saibou is not a cousin. He became interested in a military career early on, and attended the Saint-Louis
Saint-Louis, Senegal
Saint-Louis, or Ndar as it is called in Wolof, is the capital of Senegal's Saint-Louis Region. Located in the northwest of Senegal, near the mouth of the Senegal River, and 320 km north of Senegal's capital city Dakar, it has a population officially estimated at 176,000 in 2005. Saint-Louis...
preparatory school in Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
from 1954, then joined the First Senegalese Tirailleurs Regiment
Senegalese Tirailleurs
The Senegalese Tirailleurs were a corps of colonial infantry in the French Army recruited from Senegal,French West Africa and throughout west, central and east Africa, the main province of the French colonial empire...
. He saw action in Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
in 1960, and was wounded there.
Upon Niger's independence in 1960, Saibou was transferred to the new Niger Army as a sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
. He attended officers' school, and in 1969 was put in command of a unit at N'Guigmi
N'guigmi
N'guigmi is a city and Commune of fifteen thousand in the eastern most part of Niger, very near to Lake Chad - lying on its shore until the lake retreated....
. After moving to a new unit in Agadez
Agadez
-Sources:* Aboubacar Adamou. "Agadez et sa région. Contribution à l'étude du Sahel et du Sahara nigériens", Études nigériennes, n°44, , 358 p.* Julien Brachet. Migrations transsahariennes. Vers un désert cosmopolite et morcelé . Paris: Le Croquant, , 324 p. ISBN : 978-2-91496865-2.*. Saudi Aaramco...
in 1973, he attained the rank of captain. Saibou threw in his lot with Kountché in the coup of April 1974, and brought his troops from Agadez to Niamey
Niamey
-Population:While Niamey's population has grown steadily since independence, the droughts of the early 1970s and 1980s, along with the economic crisis of the early 1980s, have propelled an exodus of rural inhabitants to Niger's largest city...
. As a reward he was promoted to major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, appointed to the cabinet as minister of rural economy and the environment, and on 20 November 1974, made chief of staff.
However, Kountché was suspicious of Saibou. In June 1975, he dismissed Saibou from the cabinet and asked him to relinquish his command of the armed forces. Saibou countered by asking to be retired from the service altogether, an act which apparently allayed Kountché's fears. Saibou remained loyal until Kountché's death, which occurred on 10 November 1987.
Saibou then secured his nomination by the Supreme Military Council
Supreme Military Council
Supreme Military Council may refer to:* Supreme Military Council * Supreme Council of the Armed Forces * Supreme Military Council * Supreme Military Council * Supreme Military Council...
as Kountché's successor, subsequently sending military rivals overseas with diplomatic tasks, and establishing the National Movement for the Development of Society
National Movement for the Development of Society
The National Movement for the Society of Development - MNSD / MNSD-Nassara is a political party in Niger. Founded under the military government of the 1974-1990 period, it was the ruling party of Niger from 1989 to 1993 and again from 1999 until a coup on February 18, 2010, by a military junta...
(MNSD) as the sole political party in Niger. In 1989, he had a new constitution approved and ran as the sole presidential candidate in December.
In the early part of 1990, unrest by students and a Tuareg assault on Tchin Tabaraden led to a National Conference of 1991 that ultimately dismantled military rule, leaving Saibou mostly ineffective. At an MNSD party congress in March 1991, Saibou was able to retain his position as party leader, particularly benefiting from the support of the army. However, later in the year the National Conference barred Saibou from running in the planned presidential election, and at another MNSD congress in November 1991 he was replaced as party leader by Tandja Mamadou
Tandja Mamadou
Lieutenant Colonel Mamadou Tandja is a Nigerien politician who was President of Niger from 1999 to 2010. He was President of the National Movement of the Development Society from 1991 to 1999 and unsuccessfully ran as the MNSD's presidential candidate in 1993 and 1996 before being elected to his...
. After the election of Mahamane Ousmane
Mahamane Ousmane
Mahamane Ousmane is a Nigerien politician. He was the first democratically elected and fourth President of Niger, serving from 16 April 1993 until his ouster in a military coup d'état on 27 January 1996. He has continued to run for President in each election since his ouster, and he was President...
as president in March 1993, Saibou left office on April 16 and retired to his home village. Ali Saibou died on 31 October 2011.