Niger's junta¹ has officially handed over to newly elected President Mahamadou Issoufou - 14 months after seizing power.

尼日尔军政府已正式向新当选的总统马哈马杜·伊素福移交政权——该团体掌权已达14个月。

opposition² leader Mahamadou Issoufou when he won the poll in March" src="http://www.enread.com/upimg/allimg/110408/1_110408061105_1.jpg" width="304" height="171" />
It was third time lucky for Niger opposition leader Mahamadou Issoufou when he won the poll in March
The BBC's Idy Baraou says Mr Issoufou was sworn in at a ceremony attended by eight other African heads of state.

A long-time opposition leader and ex-mining engineer, he won last month's run-off with nearly 58% of the vote.

Soldiers ousted³ President Mamadou Tandja in February 2010 after he sought a third term in office.

Our reporter in Niamey says crowds of people waited in 40 degree heat outside the stadium where the ceremony took place to greet the newly sworn-in leader.

The military junta declared the day a public holiday and has gone to great effort to spruce up（打扮整齐） the capital, determined⁴ to make the event a success, he says.

During the ceremony, the outgoing junta leader, Salou Djibo, was decorated for his services to democracy.

In his speech, Mr Issoufou said it had taken patience and sacrifices to see that democracy returned to Niger.

He promised to alleviate⁵（减轻，缓和） poverty and fight famine（饥荒） in the largely desert nation, which has reserves of uranium.

Niger remains⁶ one of the world's poorest nations, and has witnessed a number of coups⁸ since independence from France in 1960.

Mr Tandja spent 10 years in power before being overthrown⁹ in the coup⁷ after the constitution was changed to enable him to stay in power.

He is currently in prison facing charges of corruption¹⁰.