Deputy leader of the Niger junta Col Abdoulaye Bague has been arrested by paramilitary police. Bague, who took power in Niger in February after the army ousted Mamadou Tandja, is being held at the gendarmerie headquarters. The reason for Bague's detention is yet to be specified.
According to local sources, Bague was arrested in on Wednesday [13th October] in Niger's capital city of Niamey. The arrest came three days after Bague's removal from his post, made public by state TV.
A referendum is expected later this month on a constitution that would reduce the power of future presidents. Bague has been a prominent figure in the army over the past 10 years, in charge of the military's finances. The junta, under the leadership of Maj Salou Djibo, has pledged to revert to civilian rule before the first anniversary of its ousting of former president Mamadou Tandja.
Tandja, a former army officer in his early 70s, was first elected in 1999 and was returned to power in an election in 2004. He was highly criticised following a change in constitution to allow him to stay in power for a third term. Presidential elections have been scheduled for January 2011.
Source: BBC News
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