General strike paralyzes Niger's capital

NIAMEY, Niger - A general strike in Niger demanding lower prices for basic goods paralyzed the capital of one of the world's poorest nations Thursday, following a similar attempt last month that was met with inaction from the government.

Around 5,000 protesters marched in the city center toward the president's residence, but were held back by police. There were no reports of violence or arrests.

Shopkeepers closed their doors, while buses and taxis stopped running in a movement organized by a coalition of local human rights organizations, despite a televised plea by the government of the west African nation.

Banks and government offices remained open, but few employees or customers turned up in a country where few own private cars. The city's normally bustling central market appeared deserted.

"If the protesters cause damages, it will be leaders of the organizations that will be prosecuted before justice," Interior Minister Mody Mounkaila warned on state television and radio Wednesday.

Organizers of the strike delivered a statement to presidential adviser Yahaya Tounkara on Thursday asking for a 35 percent reduction in the price of goods such as water, electricity, gasoline and medicine.

"It's a civil battle and we have called for the people to support this fight," said Morou Amadou, a representative of one of the organizations participating in the strike.

Representatives of state-run companies appeared on national television Wednesday, insisting that they could not meet the demands.

A similar one-day strike June 22 brought no response from the government.

Niger suffered a particularly severe famine last year, caused by lack of rain and a plague of locusts in late 2004.

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