I encourage the US, France, and China to  do due-diligence and accompany 
Niger's Re-orientation forces toward a democratic  dispensation. All 
commercial and mining operations should be suspended and the  country assisted back 
to calm and any transition government empowered to either  continue existing 
contracts (ALL) and or enter into more recognized contract.  Business and 
industry can only thrive when those contracts are between parties  of sound 
and un-infirmed mind and body. Any attempt to influence the new  government of 
Niger to favour such contracts will inevitably lead to a hostile  business 
environment and an unprogressive management of industry.  
Consider that the health and  continued partnerships with Benin, Burkina 
Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, Algeria, and  Sudan may hinge on a healthy and 
democratic Niger. This environment, and it  alone will be the most cost-effective 
investment into peace in the subregion and  winning the battle against 
wanton abductions, human, drug, and munitions  trafficking, and garden variety 
crimes in frontier regions. It will not be easy,  but a joint or independent 
declaration by the US, France, and China that they  will cease all business 
and industrial activity and train such efforts toward  assisting the forces 
of sobriety and Re-orientation in Niger until such a time  (transition to 
elections is a conscionable period) as Niger is able to  either continue in 
existing contracts, revise those contracts, and or  complete new agreements, 
will be a major first step to giving notice to all  and sundry that there is 
hope for larger peace and a prosperous business  environment. Haruna.  
The notes below are culled from BBC  News.  
The junta which overthrew Niger's president and seized power  last week has 
appointed a civilian to be prime minister until new elections are  held.  
It chose Mahamadou Danda, who served as communications minister in a 
previous  administration, which itself took power in a coup in 1999.  
The ousted President, Mamadou Tandja, is still being held by the military  
along with some of his ministers.  
No date for the new polls has yet been announced by the coup leaders.  
The Red Cross in Niger has told the BBC that they have been allowed to 
visit  some of the detainees, but without specifying whom. The organisation said 
it had  had full cooperation from the military authorities and that it had 
not had to  raise any concerns about the prisoners.  
In a radio broadcast on Monday evening, they said putsch leader Salou Djibo 
 would act as both the head of state and government, ruling by decree. He 
will  have the power to appoint and sack the government and the new prime 
minister.  
The military have reportedly used tanks to surround the house of Gen 
Moumouni  Boureima, the former head of the army who refused to back last 
Thursday's coup.  
Mr Tandja's supporters argue that his decade in power has brought a measure 
 of economic stability to the poor West African nation.  
Under his tenure, the French energy firm Areva began work on the world's  
second-biggest uranium mine - ploughing an estimated $1.5bn (£970m) into the  
project.  
China National Petroleum Corporation signed a $5bn deal in 2008 to pump oil 
 within three years.

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