Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou, 66, was minister of Mines, Energy and Trade and Finances, as well as head of the cabinet of previous President Mahamadou Issoufou in the past 11 years, ActuNiger news website reported.

Mohamed Bazoum was sworn in as Niger’s president on Friday after winning the election, rejected by his main opposition candidate, former President Mahamane Ousmane.

Ousmane, who refuses to acknowledge his defeat in the runoff in the presidential election, said that there was fraud and called on the population to demonstrate peacefully to condemn the ratification of the electoral results carried out by the Constitutional Court.

Due to the possible outbreak of civil clashes before Bazoum’s inaguration, the government of Niger this week confirmed that it thwarted an attempted military coup, and the security forces reported the arrest of several officers for their alleged involvement.

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