Violent protests shake Niger over controversial election results | General news

Supporters of the losing candidate in Niger’s presidential elections burned tires, threw stones and set several buildings ablaze on Thursday, on a third day of violent protests in the capital Niamey.

Niger’s electoral commission declared the ruling party’s candidate, Mohamed Bazoum, the winner of Sunday’s second round with 55.75 percent of the vote on Tuesday, but his rival, Mahamane Ousmane, a former president, alleged fraud and claimed who won with 50.3 percent.

The election is intended to lead to the first transition from one democratically elected leader to another after four coups since independence from France in 1960. President Mahamadou Issoufou will resign after two five-year terms.

The national prosecutor said late Wednesday that several people had been detained in the protests. Internet access has also been severely limited since Wednesday.

On Thursday, small groups of Ousmane supporters took to the streets again to throw stones at police and national guard troops, who responded by firing tear gas.

Some protesters set private homes on fire, including that of Radio France Internationale (RFI) correspondent Moussa Kaka, a Reuters witness said.

RFI said in a statement that Kaka and his family were safe and condemned what it called “a serious attack on press freedom.”

Ousmane, who served as president from 1993 to 1996, when he was ousted by the military, said on Wednesday that he reserved the right to appeal the election results in court.

An observation mission from the Economic Community of West African States has said that the vote was carried out “in free, fair, credible and transparent conditions.”

However, it was marred by two attacks that killed eight poll workers in parts of Niger where Islamist militants regularly target civilians and the military.