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| Niger head held in military coup | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Niger President Mamadou Tandja and his cabinet are being held by soldiers after a gun battle and coup attempt in the capital, Niamey. | |
| Gunfire broke out around the presidential palace at about 1300 (1200 GMT) and continued for 30 minutes, says the BBC's Idy Baraou in the capital. | |
| State radio is playing military music - a similar pattern to two coups in the 1990s. | State radio is playing military music - a similar pattern to two coups in the 1990s. |
| Tensions have been growing in the uranium-rich nation since last year. | Tensions have been growing in the uranium-rich nation since last year. |
| Mr Tandja was widely criticised when he changed the constitution in August to allow him to stand for a third term. | Mr Tandja was widely criticised when he changed the constitution in August to allow him to stand for a third term. |
| Long-term tensions | Long-term tensions |
| Our correspondent says tanks have been firing and witnesses report seeing injured people being taken to hospital. | Our correspondent says tanks have been firing and witnesses report seeing injured people being taken to hospital. |
| An unnamed French official told AFP that a coup attempt was under way. | An unnamed French official told AFP that a coup attempt was under way. |
| "All I can say is that it would appear that Tandja is not in a good position," he told the news agency on condition of anonymity. | "All I can say is that it would appear that Tandja is not in a good position," he told the news agency on condition of anonymity. |
| AT THE SCENE Idy BaraouBBC News, Niamey The exchange of gunfire has been between soldiers but it is confusing and one cannot tell one side from another. I saw tanks being fired and soldiers on the streets using machine guns. | AT THE SCENE Idy BaraouBBC News, Niamey The exchange of gunfire has been between soldiers but it is confusing and one cannot tell one side from another. I saw tanks being fired and soldiers on the streets using machine guns. |
| The area near the presidential palace is where the business of government takes place and at least four military barracks are based there. | The area near the presidential palace is where the business of government takes place and at least four military barracks are based there. |
| People have fled the area and some civil servants have locked themselves inside their offices. | People have fled the area and some civil servants have locked themselves inside their offices. |
| Earlier, smoke could be seen from the roof of the office where President Mamadou Tandja was holding his cabinet meeting. | Earlier, smoke could be seen from the roof of the office where President Mamadou Tandja was holding his cabinet meeting. |
| Soldiers captured Mr Tandja while he was chairing his weekly cabinet meeting, a government source told the BBC. | |
| AFP later reported an official as saying Mr Tandja was possibly being held at a military barracks about 20km (13 miles) west of Niamey. | AFP later reported an official as saying Mr Tandja was possibly being held at a military barracks about 20km (13 miles) west of Niamey. |
| A witness told the news agency that the bodies of three soldiers had been taken to a military mortuary. | A witness told the news agency that the bodies of three soldiers had been taken to a military mortuary. |
| The situation in Niamey remains unclear - there has apparently been no large-scale deployment of military personnel. | The situation in Niamey remains unclear - there has apparently been no large-scale deployment of military personnel. |
| The government and opposition have been holding on-off talks since December - mediated by the regional body Ecowas - to try to resolve the country's political crisis. | The government and opposition have been holding on-off talks since December - mediated by the regional body Ecowas - to try to resolve the country's political crisis. |
| Ecowas has told the BBC that it is closely following developments in Niger. | |
| The organisation's political director, Abdel-Fatau Musah, said that, if needed, Ecowas would be in the country as quickly as it could to ensure order was maintained and constitutional order restored as soon as possible. | |
| Mr Musah said that while Ecowas would never recognise a military takeover, it would maintain a constructive engagement with those in authority in Niger. | |
| Mr Tandja, a former army officer, was first voted into office in 1999 and was returned to power in an election in 2004. | Mr Tandja, a former army officer, was first voted into office in 1999 and was returned to power in an election in 2004. |
| Niger has experienced long periods of military rule since independence from France in 1960. | Niger has experienced long periods of military rule since independence from France in 1960. |
| It is one of the world's poorest countries, but Mr Tandja's supporters argue that his decade in power has brought a measure of economic stability. | It is one of the world's poorest countries, but Mr Tandja's supporters argue that his decade in power has brought a measure of economic stability. |
| Under his tenure, work has begun on the world's second-biggest uranium mine, and energy deals have been signed with Chinese firms. | Under his tenure, work has begun on the world's second-biggest uranium mine, and energy deals have been signed with Chinese firms. |