West Africa Leaders have threatened Niger’s Junta with military action after it seized power in a coup last week.
The West African leaders have given seven days ultimatum to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum, who is being held captive.
The junta had earlier, warned that it would resist any “plan of aggression against Niger” by regional or Western forces.
Meanwhile, hundreds of coup supporters demonstrated outside the French embassy in the capital Niamey.
Leaders of the West African Bloc Ecowas met in Nigeria’s capital Abuja on Sunday to examine the latest coup, which followed an army takeover in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso
Ecowas leaders warned in a summit statement that “Ecowas has zero tolerance for coups and would take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order if its needs were not met within a week.”
“Such measures may include the use of force,” and military chiefs are to meet “immediately” to plan for an intervention, the statement added.
The Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel was at the meeting and said ECOWAS had taken decisive action because events in Niger were concerning.
“Niger is playing a key role in fighting terrorism. If Niger stop playing this role this will give more space and more leeway to terrorists to expand in the region,” Dr Leonardo Santos Simao the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership High Representative for Africa, told BBC’s Newshour programme.
He added that “no official negotiations” were taking place between Ecowas and the country’s military junta.
This is the first time Ecowas has threatened military action to reverse the coups that have taken place in the region in recent years.
Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno has gone to Niamey to tell the junta to step down, Chad’s government said.
He is the first foreign leader to visit Niger since the coup and has met junta deputy leader Gen Salifou Mody.
It is unclear whether he will hold talks with Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, the head of the presidential guard’s unit who has declared himself Niger’s new ruler.
