Editing History of Niger (section)

==2000s==
[[Image:Un-niger.png|thumb|right|300px|The modern Niger]]
In July 2004, Niger held municipal elections nationwide as part of its decentralization process. Some 3,700 people were elected to new local governments in 265 newly established communes. The ruling MNSD party won more positions than any other political party; however, opposition parties made significant gains.<ref name="bn">{{cite web| url = https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5474.htm| title = US State Dept| access-date = 24 May 2019| archive-date = 24 May 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190524232128/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5474.htm| url-status = live}}</ref>

In November and December 2004, Niger held presidential and legislative elections. Mamadou Tandja was elected to his second five-year presidential term with 65% of the vote in an election that international observers called generally free and fair. This was the first presidential election with a democratically elected incumbent and a test to Niger's young democracy.<ref name=bn/>

In the 2004 legislative elections, the MNSD, the CDS), the Rally for Social Democracy (RSD), the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), the Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ANDP), and the Social Party for Nigerien Democracy (PSDN) coalition, which backed Tandja, won 88 of the 113 seats in the National Assembly.<ref name=bn/>

The [[Second Tuareg insurgency in Niger]] began in 2007 when a previously unknown group, the Mouvement des Nigeriens pour la Justice (MNJ), emerged. The predominantly Tuareg group issued a number of demands, mainly related to development in the north. It attacked military and other facilities and laid landmines in the north. The resulting insecurity devastated Niger's tourist industry and deterred investment in mining and oil. Algeria helped negotiate an August 2008 Malian peace deal, which was broken by a rebel faction in December, crushed by the Malian military and wholesale defections of rebels to the government. Niger saw heavy fighting and disruption of Uranium production in the mountainous north, before a Libyan backed peace deal, aided by a factional split among the rebels, brought a negotiated ceasefire and amnesty in May 2009.

On 26 May 2009, President Tandja dissolved parliament after the country's constitutional court ruled against plans to hold a [[referendum]] on whether to allow him a third term in office. According to the constitution, a new parliament was elected within three months.<ref>
{{cite web |url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2009/05/2009526174440137316.html |title=Africa – Niger leader dissolves parliament |publisher=Al Jazeera English |date=26 May 2009 |access-date=3 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110207122542/http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2009/05/2009526174440137316.html |archive-date=7 February 2011 |url-status=live}}
</ref> This touched off a political struggle between Tandja, trying to extend his term-limited authority beyond 2009 through the establishment of a Sixth Republic, and his opponents who demanded that he step down at the end of his second term in December 2009. See [[2009 Nigerien constitutional crisis]]. [[2010 Nigerien coup d'état|The military took over the country]] in February 2010 and President Tandja was put in prison, charged with corruption.

The military kept their promise to return the country to democratic civilian rule. A constitutional referendum and national elections were held. A presidential election was held on 31 January 2011, but as no clear winner emerged, run-off elections were held on 12 March 2011. [[Mahamadou Issoufou]] of the [[Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism]] was elected president.  A parliamentary election was held at the same time.<ref>
Ahmad, Romoke W. [http://allafrica.com/stories/201102030287.html "West Africa: Ecowas, EU Say Niger Elections Satisfactory"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629053302/http://allafrica.com/stories/201102030287.html |date=29 June 2011 }}, ''Daily Trust'' (republished at AllAfrica.com), 3 February 2011.
</ref><ref>
Saidou, Djibril. 
[http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-02-04/niger-s-presidential-election-heads-to-march-runoff.html Niger’s Presidential Election Heads to March Runoff"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628204008/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-02-04/niger-s-presidential-election-heads-to-march-runoff.html |date=28 June 2011 }}, ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', 
4 February 2011.
</ref><ref>
Look, Anne. [https://www.voanews.com/a/niger-politicians-forge-alliances-before-march-election-116159734/135036.html "Niger Politicians Forge Alliances Before March Election"], ''Voice of America'', 14 February 2011.
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An attempted coup d'état took place on the night of March 30 to 31, 2021, a few days before the inauguration of president-elect [[Mohamed Bazoum]]. On April 2, 2021, Bazoum formally took office after being sworn in.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56613931|title = Niger's Mohamed Bazoum sworn in as president after failed coup|work = BBC|date = 2 April 2021|access-date = 19 May 2021|archive-date = 2 April 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210402125245/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56613931|url-status = live}}</ref> He was [[2023 Nigerien coup d'état|removed from office on July 26, 2023, after a coup d'état]] led by members of the presidential guard and the [[Niger Armed Forces|armed forces]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Presse |first=AFP-Agence France |title=ECOWAS Head Says Benin President On Mediation Mission To Niger |url=https://www.barrons.com/news/ecowas-head-says-benin-president-on-mediation-mission-to-niger-8fa6281e |access-date=2023-07-26 |website=www.barrons.com |language=en-US |archive-date=27 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230727142406/https://www.barrons.com/news/ecowas-head-says-benin-president-on-mediation-mission-to-niger-8fa6281e |url-status=live }}</ref> who then announced the formation of a [[National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Mednick |first=Sam |date=27 July 2023 |title=Mutinous soldiers claim to have overthrown Niger's president |url=https://apnews.com/article/niger-tensions-presidential-guard-96f8f63b838af5467d4c95ba7b998b32 |access-date=27 July 2023 |website=[[Associated Press|AP]] |archive-date=27 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230727003212/https://apnews.com/article/niger-tensions-presidential-guard-96f8f63b838af5467d4c95ba7b998b32 |url-status=live }}</ref> The next day however, his foreign minister [[Hassoumi Massoudou]]  declared himself acting head of state substituting for Bazoum and called on all for the coup to be defeated.<ref>{{cite web |last=Peter |first=Laurence |date=27 July 2023 |title=Niger soldiers announce coup on national TV |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66320895 |access-date=27 July 2023 |website=[[BBC]] |archive-date=27 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230727000929/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66320895 |url-status=live }}</ref> On 28 July, General [[Abdourahamane Tchiani]] proclaimed himself as the de facto president of the country.<ref>{{cite news |title=Niger general Tchiani named head of transitional government after coup |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/28/niger-general-tchiani-named-head-of-transitional-government-after-coup |date=28 July 2023 |publisher=Aljazeera |access-date=28 July 2023 |archive-date=28 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230728213811/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/28/niger-general-tchiani-named-head-of-transitional-government-after-coup |url-status=live }}</ref>

In April 2025, Niger relegated French as a working language and made Hausa an official language.<ref>
Wright, Emily. [https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/2042328/africa-country-new-official-language-niger "The massive African country that's just adopted a new official language"], ''express.co.uk'', 18 April 2025.
</ref>