Leaders of the economic bloc of West African nations known as ECOWAS were wrapping up an extraordinary summit on Friday over the crisis in Niger that threatens to destabilize the region.
The heads of state and government from 15 West African countries set an Aug. 6 deadline for Niger's military junta to restore to power the country’s ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, who was democratically elected.
The junta also scrapped its military agreements and protocols with France and announced it will no longer authorize diplomats to France, the U.S., Togo and Nigeria, which hosts ECOWAS.
ECOWAS said in a communiqué last week it considered Bazoum's illegal detention to be a "hostage situation" and it would "take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order" in Niger if the junta did not relinquish power within a week.
Since earlier this week the Economic Community of West African States has been meeting again to discuss the crisis at its headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, where West African defense chiefs have been planning a potential military intervention.
Two of Niger's Western neighbors, Mali and Burkina Faso, warned they would consider it an act of war if ECOWAS – possibly aided by the U.S. – steps in militarily.
The two neighboring countries, which expelled French and U.N. peacekeeping troops, aligned with Russia, complicating the region's dynamics. The U.S. views Niger as an important counterterrorism partner against the jihadist insurgency.
As a result of the coup the U.S. has temporarily suspended its security cooperation with Niger, where about 1,100 U.S. troops are stationed and the U.S. operates two air bases in Niamey and Agadez.
The air bases, in cooperation with the U.S. Africa Command headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, fly drones and gather intelligence on militant groups such as al-Qaida, ISIS affiliates, and the al-Qaida-linked JNIM group.
Shuttle diplomacy in Niamey
Bazoum warned in a Washington Post op-ed article published on Thursday that the coup has major implications for the entire region, where the governments of Mali and Burkina Faso, which support the coup, employ Russian mercenaries such as the Wagner Group.
"I write this as a hostage. Niger is under attack from a military junta that is trying to overthrow our democracy, and I am just one of hundreds of citizens who have been arbitrarily and illegally imprisoned," Bazoum wrote.
"This coup, launched against my government by a faction in the military on July 26, has no justification whatsoever," he continued. "If it succeeds, it will have devastating consequences for our country, our region and the entire world."
Chad's president, General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, has been meeting with Bazoum in Niger's capital, Niamey. Déby, who is leading the mediation efforts of ECOWAS, also met with Niger's coup leaders.
The ECOWAS region was created under a 1975 treaty, revised in 1993, that aims to create a self-sufficient trading bloc.
It has a combined GDP of US$735 billion, which, if it were a country, would make it the world's 23rd biggest GDP, just behind Poland and ahead of Turkey.
This story has been updated with additional details.
