Niger's president triggered the coup

Now let's go over a few basic facts about Niger's president Mamadou Tandja and the roots of the coup.

The 71-year-old Tandja first took power in 1999. But instead of stepping down as mandated by law, he triggered a political crisis by pushing through laws removing term limits.

The move was met with strong opposition last August and tension has been increasing.

Niger's President Mamadou Tandja is pictured in Niamey in 2009. (AFP/Pool/File/Francois Mori)