Moustapha Niasse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Moustapha Niasse
|
|
|---|---|
Niasse in 2009
|
|
| President of the National Assembly of Senegal | |
| In office 30 July 2012 – 12 September 2022 |
|
| Preceded by | Mamadou Seck |
| Succeeded by | Amadou Mame Diop |
| Prime Minister of Senegal | |
| In office 5 April 2000 – 3 March 2001 |
|
| President | Abdoulaye Wade |
| Preceded by | Mamadou Lamine Loum |
| Succeeded by | Mame Madior Boye |
| Acting 3 April 1983 – 29 April 1983 |
|
| President | Abdou Diouf |
| Preceded by | Habib Thiam |
| Succeeded by | Habib Thiam (1991) |
| Foreign Minister of Senegal | |
| In office 1993–1998 |
|
| Prime Minister | Habib Thiam |
| Preceded by | Djibo Ka |
| Succeeded by | Jacques Baudin |
| In office 1978–1984 |
|
| Prime Minister |
|
| Preceded by | Babacar Ba |
| Succeeded by | Ibrahima Fall |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 November 1939 Keur Madiabel, French West Africa (now Senegal) |
| Political party | AFP |
| Alma mater | University of Paris |
| Occupation | Politician |
Moustapha Niasse (born 4 November 1939) is an important politician and diplomat from Senegal. He held many high-ranking positions in his country's government. From 2012 to 2022, he was the President of the National Assembly of Senegal. This is like being the speaker of the country's main law-making body.
He also served as the Foreign Minister twice, from 1978 to 1984 and again from 1993 to 1998. The Foreign Minister handles a country's relationships with other nations. Niasse was also the Prime Minister of Senegal for a short time in 1983, and then again from 2000 to 2001. The Prime Minister is usually the head of the government, working under the President.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Moustapha Niasse was born in Keur Madiabel, a town in Senegal. He went to university in Senegal at Cheikh Anta Diop University. Later, he continued his studies at the University of Paris in France.
Political Journey
Niasse began his career in government in 1970. He worked as the director of the Presidential Cabinet until 1979. This role meant he helped the President with important decisions and daily tasks.
In March 1979, he became the Minister of Town Planning, Housing, and Environment. He held this job for a few months. In September 1979, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was promoted to Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in January 1981. He stayed in this role until April 1984.
For a brief period in April 1983, Niasse served as Prime Minister. This position was then removed from the government for a while. He returned as Minister of Foreign Affairs for a second time from June 1993 to July 1998. After that, he worked for the Secretary General of the United Nations. He was a special representative in the Great Lakes region of Africa until 1999.
Forming a New Party
In the late 1990s, Niasse decided to leave the political party of President Abdou Diouf. He then started his own political party called the Alliance of the Forces of Progress (AFP).
He ran for president in the February 2000 presidential election. In this election, he competed against President Diouf and another long-time opposition leader, Abdoulaye Wade. Niasse came in third place. Since no one won more than half the votes, Diouf and Wade went to a second round of voting, called a runoff.
Niasse decided to support Abdoulaye Wade in the second round. Wade promised Niasse the position of Prime Minister if he won. Niasse's support helped Wade win the election against Diouf. After Wade became President in April 2000, he appointed Niasse as his Prime Minister.
Prime Minister and Beyond
Moustapha Niasse served as Prime Minister until March 3, 2001. He resigned because he had a difficult working relationship with President Wade.
In the April 2001 parliamentary election, Niasse was elected to the National Assembly. He represented his party, the AFP. In 2002, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan asked Niasse to help in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His job was to try and form a national unity government there.
In June 2006, Niasse decided to resign from his seat in the National Assembly. He did this because he did not agree with extending the Assembly's term beyond its original five years.
Presidential Elections
In December 2006, Niasse was chosen to be the presidential candidate for a group of ten opposition parties called Alternative 2007. He ran in the February 2007 presidential election. During the campaign, he spoke about important issues facing Senegal.
In the election, Niasse finished in fourth place. He won in one of the country's departments, Nioro. Niasse did not agree with the election results and said there were problems, but he did not officially challenge them.
Later Political Roles
In the March 2009 local elections, Niasse's party and other opposition groups did very well. Niasse suggested that President Wade should react to this by making changes in the government.
In the February–March 2012 presidential election, Niasse ran for president again. In the second round, he supported Macky Sall against President Wade. Macky Sall won the election.
A few months later, Niasse was elected to the National Assembly again. This was in the July 2012 parliamentary election. He was part of the group supporting the new President Sall. This group won many seats. On July 30, 2012, Moustapha Niasse was elected as the President of the National Assembly. He was re-elected to this position in October 2013.
Awards and Honours
Moustapha Niasse has received several important awards for his service:
Senegal:
Grand Cross of the National Order of the Lion (received on April 4, 2022)
Ivory Coast:
Grand Cross of the Order of Ivory Merit (received on June 6, 2014)
