Drought threatens Niger

Faced with the threat of drought, Niger's president Mahamadou Issoufou took part in a national collective prayer Saturday asking for rain. Several hundred Muslims joined with the president to recite the Koran and ask for rainfall in a televised ceremony at Niamey's grand mosque led by Sheikh Djabir Ismael, president of the AIN, Niger's largest Islamic association. "Let Allah show clemency to our country", said Sheikh Ismael. Prayer sessions were held across the country, reported local media, after the government invited Nigeriens to participate. "Our real worry is for our agriculture, I want you to intensify your prayers", said Issoufou on Friday, as he was joined by religious leaders in the capital. Niger, a poor West African nation with a majority Muslim population, depends heavily on its one annual rainy season (June to September) to cultivate crops. Any drought can have disastrous effects for over 80 percent of its population of 15 million who depend on agriculture. Last year, severe drought resulted in some of the worst food shortages in the country's history. Authorities have tried to prevent another crisis this year by distributing free grain and offering sales promotions. According to government statistics, 2.6 million people in Niger live in a situation of "food insecurity".