NIAMEY -- Niger's military ruler, Major Daouda Malam Wanke, shuffled his transitional government on Tuesday, changing the interior and finance ministers, according to a decree broadcast by state television. Outgoing interior minister Lieutenant-Colonel Moumouni Boureima, replaced by Lieutenant-Colonel Ali Aga Dan Kaoura, becomes armed forces chief of staff. Seydou Sidibe takes over as minister of finance, economic reforms and privatization. He was finance minister of state in charge of the budget, a post that disappears.

Outgoing armed forces chief of staff Lieutenant-Colonel Soumana Zanguina, a member of the ruling junta, becomes an adviser at the presidency with the rank of minister of state. Wanke took power in April after soldiers shot dead president Ibrahim Bare Mainassara. Mainassara seized power in a 1996 coup and went on to win elections. Wanke has pledged to restore civilian rule by the end of the year.

His decree decribed the shuffle as "technical". Wanke, who named the government on April 16, sacked Ibrahim Konate as minister of higher education, research and technology and replaced him with Mamoudou Djibo, a teacher and researcher. Economist Mahamadou Moctar Sacko takes over the new post of minister delegate at the prime minister's office in charge of privatization. Former finance minister Ide Gnandou was named minister adviser at the presidency.

(Reuter)