Niger: once-taboo topic of hunger spoken again
Mamadou Tandja
"That's why they're still afraid of words like 'famine '" said Tiemogo  who spent three months in prison and seven in exile for publishing articles critical of Tandja.
 During the 2005 crisis  Tandja's government felt humiliated  Boher said. "They thought people were trying to make it look like it was their fault that children were dying."
 And "if you are unable to feed the population  as president  you are going to be at risk " Boher said. "Malnutrition has political implications. This is why Tandja wanted to deny there was a problem."
 One unanswered question is whether Niger's new junta will be as sensitive to the issue as Tandja's regime has been.
 So far  the soldiers in charge are overwhelmed with the burden of governing and convincing diplomats -- none of which are calling for Tandja's return -- that coup was a good thing.
"That's why they're still afraid of words like 'famine '" said Tiemogo  who spent three months in prison and seven in exile for publishing articles critical of [TGT].
 During the 2005 crisis  Tandja's government felt humiliated  Boher said. "They thought people were trying to make it look like it was their fault that children were dying."
 And "if you are unable to feed the population  as president  you are going to be at risk " Boher said. "Malnutrition has political implications. This is why [TGT] wanted to deny there was a problem."
 One unanswered question is whether Niger's new junta will be as sensitive to the issue as [TGT]'s regime has been.
 So far  the soldiers in charge are overwhelmed with the burden of governing and convincing diplomats -- none of which are calling for [TGT]'s return -- that coup was a good thing.