On Friday, Niger's military coup leaders suspended the 2010 constitution and dissolved all its institutions, while announcing that they are exercising "all legislative and executive powers" until the "return to normal constitutional order".

According to RTP, the announcement was made by Colonel Amadou Abdourahmane in a televised address to the nation to read out a decree.

"Order 2023-01 of July 28", the first issued by the coup junta, has five articles, the first of which suspends the Constitution of November 25, 2010 and dissolves the institutions that emanate from it.

The military junta, which calls itself the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP), overthrew the elected President, Mohamed Bazoum, on Wednesday, and Niger's new "strongman" is now General Abdourahmane Tchiani, who was presented yesterday, also on television, as "the head of state representing Niger in international relations".

The second article creates the CNSP, whose "composition and functioning are determined by decree of the president of the Council", i.e. General Tchiani.

"Pending a return to normal constitutional order, the CNSP shall exercise all legislative and executive powers," reads the third article.

The fourth article of the decree, signed by Tchiani himself, states that "the president of the CNSP (Tchiani) is the head of state and represents the country "in international relations".

The last article stipulates that the decree will be published in Niger's official gazette as a matter of urgency.

On the same occasion, the colonel, the junta's spokesman, read out another communiqué in which he called on all the secretaries-general of the ministries (now heads of department after the resignation of the ministers) to report to the headquarters of the former presidential palace in Niamey.

Yesterday, in his first communication to the country, Tchiani said that the coup plotters had decided to intervene because of the "incoherence and ineffectiveness" of ousted President Mohamed Bazoum's security management.

After Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger, until now an ally of Western countries, has become the third country in the Sahel, undermined by attacks from extremist movements linked to the fundamentalist group Islamic State and Al-Qaida, to suffer a coup d'état since 2020.

The coup has been condemned by the international community, which has called for the release of President Bazoum, who has been detained in the presidential palace since Wednesday.