Hama Amadou, Niger’s former Prime Minister, passed away in a hospital in the capital, Niamey, at the age of 74 after enduring years of health issues, according to a former deputy and close friend. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Amadou served as prime minister twice, from 1995 to 1996 and again from 1999 to 2007, and held the position of speaker of Parliament from 2011 to 2014. He was a prominent political figure who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2011, 2016, and 2020.
As the founder and leader of the Nigerien Democratic Movement for an African Federation (MODEN/FA), a major political party, Amadou was a strong opponent of former presidents Mahamadou Issoufou and Mohamed Bazoum, the latter of whom was ousted in a 2023 coup.
Throughout his career, Amadou was imprisoned multiple times, including in 2009 on embezzlement charges that were later dismissed. In 2015, he was jailed again over accusations related to an infant trafficking network, which he denounced as politically motivated. Despite being in prison, he was allowed to run in the 2016 presidential election, where he placed second.
