Brigi Rafini
Brigi Rafini in 2012
Prime Minister of Niger
In office
7 April 2011 – 2 April 2021
PresidentMahamadou Issoufou
Preceded byMahamadou Danda
Succeeded byOuhoumoudou Mahamadou
Personal details
Born (1953-03-29) 29 March 1953 (age 70)
Iferouane, French West Africa
(now Niger)
Political partyNigerien Party for Democracy
and Socialism
Alma materNational School of
Administration, Niamey
National School of Administration, Strasbourg

Brigi Rafini (born 29 March 1953) is a Nigerien politician who served as the Prime Minister of Niger from 2011 to 2021. A native of Iférouane in Agadez Region and an ethnic Tuareg,[1] Rafini was Minister of Agriculture in the late 1980s and Fourth Vice-President of the National Assembly of Niger from 2004 to 2009. He was appointed as Prime Minister after Mahamadou Issoufou took office as President on 7 April 2011. He is also notably the first Tuareg in office.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Career

Brigi Rafini was born in 1953 in Iférouane in the Agadez Region, part of the Colony of Niger in French West Africa. He attended primary and secondary school in Iférouane and Agadez. From 1971 to 1974, he attended the National School of Administration (ENA) in Niamey, returning for advanced study from 1978 to 1981.[1][11] In 1983, he spent a year at the French International Institute of Public Administration (IIAP) in Paris. He returned to Paris a decade later, to the French National School of Administration (ENA) from 1994 to 1995.[1][11]

Political affiliation

As an experienced civil administrator, minister and political office holder, Rafini has represented four different political parties since the 1980s. He was a member of the National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD) during the time it was the unitary party (1989–1991), left to join the breakaway faction that became the Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ANDP) during the democratic Third Republic (1993–1996), and helped form the ruling Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP-Jama'a) party during the presidency of Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara (1996–1999). He served as a parliamentarian and assembly officer under the RDP in opposition during the Fifth Republic (1999–2009). He has since been reported to have formally joined the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS), elected to power in 2011.[4][12]

Prime Minister

When Mahamadou Issoufou, who won the January–March 2011 presidential election, took office as President on 7 April 2011, he promptly appointed Rafini as Prime Minister. The 23-member government headed by Rafini was appointed on 21 April 2011.[13] On 2 April 2016, when Issoufou was sworn in for his second term, he reappointed Brigi Rafini as Prime Minister.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c Le Premier ministre, M Brigi Rafini : un homme d'une grande expérience politique à la tête du gouvernement Archived October 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Oumarou Moussa, Le Sahel (Niamey), 2011-04-11.
  2. ^ Niger's new leader names Brigi Rafini prime minister, Reuters 2011-04-11.
  3. ^ AFP: Niger's new president appoints Tuareg as prime minister 2011-04-11.
  4. ^ a b Brigi Rafini, un ancien administrateur civil nommé Premier ministre du Niger Archived September 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, African Press Agency, 2011-04-08.
  5. ^ Niger rebels release 6 more government soldiers - AP 2007-08-05
  6. ^ France sees Areva progress, offers Niger mine aid Reuters 2007-08-04
  7. ^ Niger : libération d’une partie de militaires pris en otage par le MNJ Le Potentiale (Kinshahsa), 2007-08-07
  8. ^ Visite d’étude de trois députés et deux fonctionnaires de l’Assemblée nationale du Niger 30 juin au 4 juillet 2008 Assemblée nationale - Coopération interparlementaire - XIII° législature, French National Assembly, July 2008.
  9. ^ M. Brigi Rafini, 4ème vice-président de l'Assemblée nationale et maire de la Commune rurale d'Iférouane Archived September 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Assane Soumana, Le Sahel (Niamey), 2009-04-03.
  10. ^ Human rights of parliamentarians: 186th Governing Council session International Parliamentary Union report on Niger, 2009.
  11. ^ a b Niger: Brigi Rafini, un Touareg énarque à la tête du gouvernement. Boureima Hama, AFP, 2011-04-14.
  12. ^ Les 4 premiers décrets de la 7ème République : Mahamadou Issoufou signe 3 décrets de nomination et 1 de convocation de l'Assemblée nationale Archived October 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Mahamadou Diallo, Niger Diaspora. 2011-04-08.
  13. ^ "Niger unveils new government", AFP, 21 April 2011.
  14. ^ "Niger ministers resign after presidential inauguration: radio", Reuters, 2 April 2016.
Political offices Preceded byMahamadou Danda Prime Minister of Niger 2011–2021 Succeeded byOuhoumoudou Mahamadou
Categories