Ide Oumarou
Idé Oumarou (* 1937 in N'Dounga, † 12 February 2002 in Niamey ) was a Nigerien politician, diplomat and writer. He was Foreign Minister of Niger (1983-1985) and Secretary General of the Organization of African Unity ( 1985-1989 ). For his novel Gros plan, he was awarded the 1978 Grand Prix littéraire de l' Afrique noire.
Life
Idé Oumarou attended from 1957 to 1959 the École normale supérieure William Ponty in Dakar, one of the most prestigious schools in French West Africa, where he trained as a teacher. Using a scholarship, he studied subsequently economic research with a focus on planning at the Institut des Hautes Etudes d' Outre- Mer, Paris. In 1960 newly independent from France Niger Oumarou first worked in the General Commissariat of Planning. President Hamani Diori appointed him in 1961 as director and chief editor of the weekly newspaper Le Niger state. Within the Unity Party of PPN - RDA was Oumarou as particularly influential. He received in 1963 the office of Director General of Information in the Ministry of Information, where he remained until he was appointed in June 1972 as Director of Posts and Telecommunications.
President Hamani Diori was deposed by a military coup in April 1974, the party PPN - RDA dissolved. Idé Oumarou quickly won the confidence of the new Head of State General Seyni Kountché who appointed him to his cabinet chief still in 1974. As such, it was during the next five years to the closest collaborators of the heads of state. General Kountché promoted him in 1980 to Niger's ambassador to the United Nations in New York City. In this capacity Oumarou took over, between May 1980 and January 1981 on several occasions the Presidency of the Security Council of the United Nations. He returned to the home, as it Kountché appointed Foreign Minister of Niger on 14 November 1983. He had to hold in July 1985 when he was elected Secretary General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU ) this office. The OAU was considered up to this point because of disagreements between Member States as unable to cope with the problems of the continent, which included the famine in the Sahel. Oumarou verlautbarte to want to work that Member States have their political disputes behind them and focus on the economic problems of Africa, and called for a " Marshall Plan for Africa" . He also tried to obtain the independence of Namibia and the release of Nelson Mandela during his tenure. When he applied for the extension of his term of office as OAU Secretary-General in July 1989, he was beaten to the Tanzanian Salim Ahmed Salim. Idé Oumarou then returned to Niger, where he was appointed in the rank of Minister of State for consultants Kountché successor Ali Saibou. Oumarou sat unsuccessfully for re- establishment of the international PPN - RDA RDA mother party. Under the reigning from 1996 to 1999, President Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara he again served as Chief of Cabinet in the Office of the President. He was also entrusted with several crisis management missions in African countries. From April 2000 until his death he represented the French-speaking world in the College of facilitators during the political crisis in Togo.
Oumarou died at the age of 65 years to a myocardial infarction at his home in Niamey.
Literary creation
Idé Oumarou wrote two novels in French. In his first novel, published in 1977 Gros plan he describes scenes of everyday life in Niamey, reflect the developments within the Nigerien society. For Gros plan, he received the 1978 Literary Award Grand Prix littéraire de l' Afrique noire. His second novel, Le Représentant 1984 came out and was less successful. This Oumarou describes among other things the impact of greed on human relationships. Characteristic of literary creation Idé Oumarous is the exact, albeit subtle description of political grievances. Oumarou also wrote several short stories and plays, as well as a political autobiography, published in 1995, in which he can pass his work under Seyni Kountché Revue.
Works
- Gros plan. Nouvelles éditions africaines, Dakar / Abidjan 1977, ISBN 2-7236-0146-3.
- Le Représentant. Nouvelles éditions africaines, Dakar / Abidjan in 1984.
- Dialogues et temps forts avec Seyni Kountché. ACCT / Nouvelle Imprimerie du Niger, Paris / Niamey in 1995.