Located in what is now one of the world's poorest countries there was once an Empire which stretched from the Sahara desert to the the Atlantic coast. The Songhai had a rich economy based on salt and had built the legendary city of Timbuktu. What changed such a strong and vast empire to a poor, barren dessert?

After the death of King Aksia Ishaq II the Songhai empire disintegrated into peril with caliphates fighting over power and the area eventually splintering into small kingdoms and ceasing to be united.

After hundreds of years fighting amongst themselves a new enemy came into play. The Europeans. By 1922 the French had crushed the last resistance and Niger was a full fledged French colony. The colonization did not last long however, Niger was free again August 3rd 1960.

Freedom from the French did not mean prosperity however. Niger has since been plagued with military coups, droughts, and civil war. Niger is one of the world's poorest countries with 63% of the population living in poverty.

The current president of Niger is Mamadou Tandja, who assumed office in 1999 after the assasination of Mainassara and a coup led by Major Daouda Malam Wanke.

Despite his promises not to seek a third term Niger is currently having a constitutional crisis. Tandja's solution is to create a sixth republic, completely scrapping the previous constitution and setting no term limits for president.

Niger finally has a chance to turn its economy around. They are able to produce oil, they are rich in uranium. If Tandja succeeds in his bid to have completely unchecked power he will rob the 63% of Nigeriens not blessed to be part of some inner circle of whatever chance they may have had to escape poverty.