West Africa hopes for mediation ahead of Niger summit

West African leaders will meet to discuss action in Niger after the junta defied their deadline. (EPA)

West African countries and global powers hope there is still a window of opportunity for mediation with Niger's coup leaders before a summit that could agree on military intervention to restore democracy.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has scheduled the summit on Thursday to discuss its standoff with the Niger junta, which seized power on July 26 and ignored an August 6 deadline to stand down.

The coup leaders have vowed to resist external pressure to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, after ECOWAS imposed sanctions and Western allies suspended aid.

The seventh power grab in West and Central Africa in three years has attracted global attention, partly due to Niger's pivotal role in a war with Islamist militants and its uranium and oil reserves that give it economic and strategic importance for the United States, Europe, China and Russia.

"There's no doubt that diplomacy is the best way to resolve this situation," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told French radio station RFI on Tuesday.

The United States is backing the regional bloc's efforts to restore constitutional order, he said. He declined to comment on the future of some 1,100 US troops in Niger.

In a sign of the United States' interest in the country, US acting deputy secretary of state Victoria Nuland flew to Niamey on Monday. She held "frank and difficult" talks with senior junta officials but said they did not take up US suggestions for restoring democratic order.

The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc has taken a harder stance on the Niger coup than it did on other recent government overthrows. Its credibility is at stake because it had said that coups would no longer be tolerated.

ECOWAS defence chiefs agreed on Friday on a possible military action plan if Bazoum was not released and reinstated, although they said operational decisions would be taken by heads of state.

Any use of force by ECOWAS would risk further destabilising one of the world's poorest regions, making such an intervention unlikely, according to risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.

"The bloc understands that a military intervention would be very costly, with no guarantee of success over the long term, and with a significant risk of escalation into a regional war," its Africa analyst, Ben Hunter, said in a note.

"It is fundamentally not in the interests of regional states."

The bloc also sent a delegation to Niger last week to try to negotiate with the junta, but a source in the entourage said their efforts were rebuffed.

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store