Some Updates Since November

It came as a shock to see that I haven't written on my blog since November. For anyone, three months is plenty of time for things to happen, lives to change. Out in the bush, my life stays fairly constant, interrupted only by small moments of excitement or bits of information from the outside world.

Since I last wrote, I spent a happy, carefree November in the village until receiving a text message from the Peace Corps office in Niamey that there was a failed attempt to kidnap American diplomats in the north of the country. We were told to immediately gather in our respective regional capitals and wait for further information. Upon reading the text, I had a flashback to the last time I was consolidated to the capital due to kidnappings. This was in January 2009. I left my village and was not allowed to go back, even to pack my things or say goodbye. This time, my hands were shaking as I packed my bag. I packed as if I would never return to my village. I only brought my solar charger, my Gosho (Buddhist writings of Nichiren Daishonin), a shirt that held sentimental value, and my bottle of perfume. If we were evacuated, I had all my valuables (I keep my violin in the regional capital hostel so it was also with me). However, by the next week, everyone in my region was allowed to go back to their villages with increased travel restrictions. One region was closed in the east of the country and many friends there decided to go back to America rather than uproot to another Nigerien village.

Then last week, there was a military coup d'état in Niamey, Niger. The military stormed the presidential palace on Thursday, February 19 and forcibly took the president, Mamadou Tandja and some of his cabinet ministers into custody. Although it is standard for the international community to condemn a military coup, thousands of Nigeriens, West Africans, and others throughout the world rejoiced this rather smoothly carried out operation. Why? Tandja was himself democratically elected in 1999 following a military coup. In the constitution drawn up in '99, the president is allowed two, five-year terms in office. Tandja served for two terms, after being re-elected in 2004, but in 2009, he decided that his job wasn't done. He claimed that it was the "people's wish" for him to serve for an additional three years to finish the job he started in office. I will not go into the details of the political events from August to February in which Tandja guaranteed himself a further three years in office. You can read all about this in the following BBC profile on him: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8181537.stm. The conclusion is, however, that the military stepped in on February 19 to oust Tandja and bring the country back towards democracy. A civilian prime minister has already been put in place temporarily and the country is now preparing for parliamentary and presidential elections in the coming months. I also assume a new constitution will be drafted to be voted upon as well.

These additional BBC Articles might be helpful to read:
A Coup for Democracy?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8537043.stm

Niger Junta Bars Itself from Future Elections
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8536497.stm

I was in Gaya when I first heard the news on the 19th. Not until I reached my post did I receive the text message that all Peace Corps Niger volunteers were on "standfast," meaning we could not leave our villages until told. We also could not leave our homes from six at night until six in the morning. Being in a tiny village in the middle of nowhere, this was no problem for me. The standfast and curfew were lifted only a few days later after it became apparent that the situation was calm and under control. The night of the coup, I did not know the severity of the situation or if violence was erupting in Niamey. I turned on the international news, which said that gunfire was reported in Niamey and the president was taken to some unknown military base. This didn't sound promising so I switched to FM radio to hear what the locals were saying. The only channel on was playing military marching band music. I decided to get a good night's sleep and listen to the news the next day. By that time, only one day later, it was apparent that the situation was under control and the military was as anxious as everyone else to return to civilian rule.

For now, I am moving along with a water project for my village. The political upheaval in Niamey and the terrorist problems in the north have only been mild obstacles for me in my work. On the whole, it is business as usual. I'm currently writing and revising a project proposal to turn in this week. I have no doubt that Peace Corps will be in Niger for many more years to come. This country deserves positive international attention through programs like the Peace Corps and I hope that politics and extremism will not stand in the way of grassroots development and cultural exchange.