Neither of the two Nigerien presidential candidates managed to win in the first round.

Mohamed Bazoum, who came first on January 2, will face former President Mahamane Ousmane in a second round scheduled for February 20.

But at this stage, everyone can already say that the big winner remains democracy.

Niger organized a series of elections in December, first municipal and regional on the 13th, then presidential and legislative on the 27th. "These elections took place under good conditions," journalist and essayist Seidik Abba told France 24, specialist in terrorist groups in the Sahel zone. There was no questioning of the ballot or appeal to the electoral courts. Neither the government nor the opposition. On this point, Niger consolidates its experience democratic."

>> To read: "Presidential in Niger: the people voted peacefully for an unprecedented peaceful transition"

Grieving elections

This is not the first successful election for Niger.

This young African democracy, whose constitution was approved by referendum only in 1992, has in fact never experienced disturbed election results.

"The fact that the outgoing president, Mahamadou Issoufou, can hand over power to an elected president makes Niger a model for the neighboring countries of the region which must be welcomed", continues the author of the book "Voyage au cœur de Boko Haram ".

In #Niger, at least 100 people were killed in the attack on two villages near the Malian border on Saturday.

This is one of the worst massacres of civilians ever committed in the country pic.twitter.com/1q2mEM9KiM

- FRANCE 24 French (@ France24_fr) January 4, 2021

However, the country's security situation is far from being as exemplary.

At the time of the proclamation of the results of the first round of the presidential election, simultaneous terrorist attacks, perpetrated in broad daylight, around noon (11 a.m. GMT), left at least 100 dead in two villages near the border with Mali.

These attacks are the deadliest committed by jihadists against civilians in the Sahel, according to the NGO ACLED, which lists the attacks in the region.

The Nigerien authorities have declared three days of national mourning.

No official claim was made after this attack between the two rounds of the Nigerien presidential election, nor regarding the laying of an artisanal mine that killed two French soldiers the same day in Ménaka, in the north-east of the Mali, a few hundred kilometers further north, on the other side of a very porous border.

Earlier, on December 21, six days before the presidential election, seven Nigerien soldiers had already been killed in an ambush in the same region.

Caught between the attacks of the Nigerian jihadist group Boko Haram and those of the Sahelian nebulae affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State organization, the authorities have struggled for ten years to pacify this area which stretches from the West - to the border with Mali and Burkina Faso - in the south-east - on the border with Nigeria.

Safety, a major stake in the in-between-rounds

In this context of great insecurity, can the holding of the poll be called into question?

Seidik Abba doesn't believe it.

"This new violence did not occur in large pools of voters. They will therefore not prevent the majority of Nigeriens from going to the polls on February 20. On the other hand, these attacks will have consequences on the speeches of candidates. The two finalists will have to be particularly sensitive to the security issue, if they want to be elected. "

In this game, it seems that the candidate of the ruling party, Mohamed Bazoum, former Minister of the Interior, is well placed to play the gendarmes in the country.

Close to the current president, Mahamadou Issoufou, "he has an important national and international network with France and Europe which can in particular facilitate his task on this point," said Seidik Abba.

Guest Africa - Seidik Abba (Journalist): "The second round of the presidential election in Niger remains open" https://t.co/rWXIZtBgSs pic.twitter.com/fVeRvQPPAF

- RFI Afrique (@RFIAfrique) January 3, 2021

The power in place is also sparing its efforts to show its involvement in this issue in this in-between rounds.

During a field mission on Sunday, Prime Minister Brigi Rafini affirmed that "the government will very soon take measures to ensure that the populations of these villages are secure in the best conditions".

The president, for his part, was to lead an exceptional National Security Council on Monday.

But opposite, Mahamane Ousmane has not said his last word.

And it seems that not all security talk, however compelling, is enough to win the ballot.

"Other issues such as economic development or youth unemployment are just as decisive in this election, abounds Seidik Abba. The result of the second round will mainly depend on the ability of the two candidates to forge alliances with the candidates eliminated in the first round. And at this stage, the suspense is even greater than in the first round: it is perfectly impossible to say which of Mahamane Ousmane or Mohamed Bazoum will win. "

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