| |
| 16. Niger |
| 1960, Aug |
| |
| Niger gained independence from France. Hamani Diori became the first head of state. | 1 |
| |
| 1974, April |
| |
| Diori was overthrown in a coup led by army chief of staff Lt. Col. Seyni Kountche. | 2 |
| |
| 1976 |
| |
| The government reacted to an unsuccessful coup attempt by executing several alleged ringleaders. | 3 |
| |
| 1982–83 |
| |
| The Kountche government began to open up Niger's political system. Civilians were brought into the government. New elections were held, and a civilian prime minister, Oumarou Mamane, was appointed. | 4 |
| |
| 1983, Oct |
| |
| Following a failed coup attempt, Kountche dismissed Prime Minister Mamane. | 5 |
| |
| 1983–85 |
| |
| Nigeria embarked on a mass expulsion of Niger nationals, thus placing a great strain on Niger's economy. | 6 |
| |
| 1985 |
| |
| American vice president George Bush visited Niger, signaling a warming of relations between the U.S. and Niger. | 7 |
| |
| 1987, Nov |
| |
| Death of Kountche, who was succeeded by Col. Ali Seibou, the military chief of staff. Although Seibou agreed to preside over the drafting of a new constitution, he continued to support military rule. | 8 |
| |
| 1996, Jan. 27 |
| |
| The first democratically elected president of Niger, Mahamaue Ousmane, was overthrown and placed under house arrest in a military coup. | 9 |
| |
| 1999, April 9 |
| |
| After surviving an attempt on his life in Jan. 1998, Niger's president, Gen. Ibrahim Bare Mainassara, was assassinated by members of his own security squad. This coup was led by the NRC; surviving prime minister Ibrahim Mayaki promised to hold fall elections. Military leader Daouda Malam Wanke assumed temporary control of the government after the assassination. | 10 |
| |
| July 18 |
| |
| A new constitution returning political control to civilians was passed by legislative vote. | 11 |
| |
| |
