Niger entrenched military rule for another five years this week when junta leader, Abdourahamane Tchiani, who seized power in a 2023 military coup, was named president for the next five years.

During his inauguration in the capital Niamey, attended by religious and military leaders, Tchiani boasted it was "a new beginning for a sovereign Niger."

Tchiani was sworn in under a new charter, which replaces the West African nation’s previous constitution. Depending on the security situation in Niger, which has been plagued by insurgencies and violence for over a decade, the five-year presidency may well be extended. Tchiani was also promoted to the country’s highest military rank and he signed a decree dissolving all political parties.

Tchiani said the new charter was needed to protect Niger's natural resources which would bring wealth to ordinary Nigeriens who are regularly ranked as among the world's

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