Ibrahim Assane Mayaki

Ibrahim Assane Mayaki (born 24 September 1951) is a Nigerien politician, who served as the Prime Minister of Niger from 27 November 1997, to 3 January 2000. Fourth Republic Under President Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara, who seized power in a January 1996 coup, Mayaki was named Deputy Minister for Cooperation, under the Minister of Foreign Affairs, André Salifou, on 23 August 1996. He was then named Minister of Foreign Affairs and Nigeriens Abroad in December 1996, in which position he served until being named Prime Minister in November 1997. Fifth Republic When President Maïnassara was overthrown and assassinated in April 1999, Mayaki was reappointed by Daouda Malam Wanké, the leader of the coup, to lead the country during the transition to new elections. He left office after the elections were held late in the year. United States political scandal According to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence report on prewar intelligence, Joe Wilson said that during Mayaki's time in office he was contacted by a businessman who asked him to meet with a delegation from Saddam Hussein's Iraq government, to discuss "expanding commercial relations." Mayaki interpreted that to mean they wanted to discuss the sale of yellowcake uranium, a natural resource of Niger, though upon meeting with the delegation, the subject of uranium never came up.