In this file photo taken on March 27, 2009, then Niger's President Mamadou Tandja waves upon French President's arrival at Diori Hamani airport in Niamey. Tandja passed away on November 24, 2020. [AFP]
Niger's former president Mamadou Tandja, ousted from power in 2010 after attempting to stay on beyond a two-term limit, has died, the government in capital Niamey said Tuesday.
In a statement read out on public television, serving President Mahamadou Issoufou's office said the 82-year-old's death would be marked by "three days of mourning throughout the national territory".
From 1999, Tandja headed a civilian government that replaced a short-lived military junta.
But after he changed the constitution in a bid to cling on to power 10 years later, he was toppled by the army in February 2010, paving the way for Issoufou to claim the presidency in a 2011 election.
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