Mutinous soldiers hold president of uranium-rich Niger in coup

NIGER'S President Mamadou Tandja was detained by mutinous troops after a coup in the west African uranium exporter that left at least three soldiers dead, it was claimed last night.

Three Niger military sources said that the coup was led by a soldier named Major Adamou Harouna.

"The coup leader has succeeded. It is being led by Major Adamou Harouna," one source said.

The president and the ministers are being detained not far from the presidential palace in the capital, Niamey, the sources added.

Earlier, plumes of smoke were seen rising from the palace after soldiers attacked the building where Mr Tandja was holding a meeting, sparking several hours of gunfire in Niamey.

Political tensions have been high in Niger in recent months over the president's extension of his rule, which drew widespread criticism and international sanctions. State radio, which had been broadcasting normally, began playing military music.

Witnesses said machine-gun and heavy weapons fire erupted in the city at about noon, UK time. Four hours later, most shooting had eased.

Hospital sources said at least three soldiers were killed in the clashes.

One intelligence officer, who asked not to be named, said the violence was a coup attempt that the presidential guard was trying to put down.

A French diplomatic source also called the incident a coup attempt, but said the fighting was short-lived.

Soon after 3pm, an eyewitness said soldiers from the presidential guard had reinforced positions around state television and radio installations.

Broadcasts continued as normal, though the capital's main markets had closed.

Police sources said they believed that the attackers came from outside the city in armoured vehicles.

"It goes to show the political crisis is deepening. This indicates that there is growing discontent against Tandja, even in the loyalist camp," said Control Risks analyst Rolake Akinola. "We will see increased political and regional pressure for Tandja to concede (political] ground."

Mr Tandja dissolved parliament and orchestrated a constitutional reform last year, giving him additional powers and extending his term beyond his second five-year mandate, which expired in December.

The move, which gave him an initial three more years in power without an election, drew international criticism.

West Africa's regional bloc, Ecowas, suspended Niger, and the United States terminated trade benefits, while the former colonial power, France, also criticised Mr Tandja last year.

Ecowas, which has for months been attempting to broker a solution to the deadlock between Mr Tandja and the opposition, said yesterday it would send a mission to Niger to assess the situation, adding it would impose further sanctions on any group that took power unconstitutionally.

Despite political turmoil, Niger has attracted billions of dollars in investment from major international firms seeking to tap its vast mineral wealth, including France's Areva and Cameco of Canada.

French state-owned Areva, which has been digging uranium in Niger for decades, is spending 1.2 billion on a new mine, and the China National Petroleum Corp signed a $5 billion deal there last June.