FACTBOX-Africa's presidents prolong their rule

Aug 7 (Reuters) - Niger's President Mamadou Tandja won a referendum allowing him to extend his term in power by three years.

The controversial plebiscite, which opposition leaders urged voters to boycott and which drew international criticism, is the latest in a string of efforts by African leaders to extend their rule. Here are details of other such moves:

* ALGERIA - Last November Algerian lawmakers approved the lifting of presidential term limits, a move seen by opposition parties in the OPEC member state as aimed at letting President Abdelaziz Bouteflika stay in office for life. He won a presidential election in April 2009.

* BURKINA FASO - Blaise Compaore - Compaore, who seized power in 1987, removed a limit on terms in 1997. He won a third term in 2005 with a landslide victory.

* CAMEROON - Paul Biya - Cameroon's national assembly adopted a constitutional bill in April 2006 removing a two-term presidential limit to allow Biya to extend his 25-year rule in the central African country past 2011.

* CHAD - Idriss Deby - Deby, who took power in a coup in 1990, won a third term in 2006 after a referendum the year before removed a two-term limit.

* TUNISIA - Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali - Ben Ali, who took office in 1987, won nearly 100 percent approval for 2002 reforms to let him keep standing for re-election.

* UGANDA - Yoweri Museveni - Museveni, in power since 1986, won re-election in February 2006 after he changed the constitution in 2005 to let him stand for a third term.

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(For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: africa.reuters.com/) (Writing by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit; editing by Mark John)