Niger's former President Mamadou Tandja dies

Former Niger President Mamadou Tandja has died at age 82, the government said on Tuesday. Tandja, who was elected to lead Niger twice from 1999 to 2010, was eventually overthrown in a coup after trying to change the constitution to extend his grip on power.

Tandja had been weakened by illness for several years and had been taken for medical treatment to France, Germany and Morocco. Tandja’s death came just over a month before Niger holds a presidential election.