Niger's coup leaders announced the formation of a new government, Al Jazeera reported on Thursday.

The cabinet, made up of 20 ministers with both military servicemen and civilians, is led by Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine, who was appointed by coup leaders on Monday.

The country has been ruled by a junta after it ousted the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum over two weeks ago.

General Abdourahmane Tchiani, who led the coup, declared himself head of state through a state television broadcast on July 30.

Tiani said that soldiers had seized power because of persistent insecurity driven by a decade-long Islamist insurgency that has killed thousands of soldiers and civilians across the Sahel, echoing justifications by military leaders in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso who have also snatched power since 2020.

Niger is the largest country in West Africa and a vital gateway between the Sahel and the rest of the continent. Since the July 26 power grab shocked the region, the defiant junta has rebuffed diplomatic overtures and ignored an August 6 deadline from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to reinstate ousted president Mohamed Bazoum.

Envoys of the Nigerian president, and ECOWAS chair, Bola Tinubu met coup leaders in the capital, Niamey, on Wednesday, offering a glimmer of hope for dialogue after previous missions were spurned.

As one of the world's poorest countries, Niger was seen as the West's last ally in the region. Aid, investments and training rushed in from the United States and the European Union.

Since the coup, Niger's regional allies and other countries and organizations have announced a series of sanctions against the country.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover: General Abdourahmane Tchiani and his soldiers attend the demonstration of coup supporters at a stadium in Niamey, capital of Niger, August 6, 2023. /CFP)