Niger opposition leader threatens to sue President

An opposition leader in Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, has said he's considering suing President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara for defamation.

Mr Issoufou reacted after an international radio interview in which Mr Mainassara accused him of manipulating other opposition politicians now detained over an alleged plot to assassinate the President.

Mr Issoufou, a former President of the national assembly and leader of the Niger Party for Democracy and Socialism, has described the alleged coup plot as baseless lies.

Eleven people, including three prominent opposition leaders, have have been detained since Friday over the affair.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service