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Niger's Military Pledges Neutrality, Calls For Dialogue

NIAMEY, Niger (AFP)--The military in Niger has pledged its neutrality in the country's political crisis as it urged the protagonists to work for calm in a spirit of dialogue.

"Mindful of national unity, the defense forces do not serve partisan interests. Duty bound to be neutral and reserved, the armed forces cannot as such be associated with any political debate, or be involved in destabilizing actions," said a statement read on state radio by army spokesman Colonel Goukoye Abdoulkarim.

The military said the country's political players should leave them out of politics and instead focus on dialogue among themselves to "calm the situation."

Despite a history of coups, the Niger army has adopted a nonpartisan attitude in the face of the ongoing political and legal tug-of-war between President Mamadou Tandja and the opposition.

Tandja, a 71-year-old retired army colonel whose legal tenure ends in December, is fighting to cling on to power through a constitutional change.

The country's highest court has three times ruled against his plans to change the laws to let him seek a third term in office.

But Monday night he dissolved the court, days after he assumed emergency powers to allow him to rule by decree claiming the independence of the arid and landlocked west African nation was under threat.

An opposition alliance, the Front for the Defense of Democracy, has condemned Tandja's actions as a "coup d'etat."

  (END) Dow Jones Newswires
  06-30-091020ET
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