Defence chiefs from West Africa’s regional bloc ECOWAS will meet in Nigeria’s capital Abuja for two days beginning Wednesday to discuss last week’s coup in Niger, the bloc said in a statement on Tuesday.

On Sunday, leaders of the Economic Community of West African States slapped sanctions on Niger and warned they might use force as it gave the junta a week to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum.

The leaders gave the junta seven days to reinstate Mr Bazoum, held captive by the putschists.

Earlier, the junta warned it would resist any “plan of aggression against Niger” by regional or Western powers.

Meanwhile, hundreds of coup supporters protested outside the French embassy in the capital Niamey.

A statement after the Sunday summit in Nigeria said ECOWAS had “zero tolerance” for coups.

The regional bloc said it would “take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order” if its demands 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.

Leonardo Santos Simao, 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 a decisive action because events in Niger were concerning.

“Niger is playing a key role in fighting terrorism. If Niger stops playing this role this will give more space and more leeway to terrorists to expand in the region,” Mr Simao 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. 

It last sanctioned military intervention in 2017, when Senegalese troops were deployed to The Gambia to force long-serving ruler Yahya Jammeh to leave office after he refused to accept defeat in elections.

President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno has gone to Niamey to tell the junta to step down, Chad’s government said.

He met junta deputy leader Gen. Salifou Mody.

It is unclear whether he will hold talks with Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, the head of the presidential guards unit who has declared himself Niger’s new ruler.

The West African leaders also announced the immediate enforcement of a no-fly zone over Niger for all commercial flights, the closure of all land borders with the country, and the imposition of financial sanctions against the junta.

Ahead of their meeting, Mr Tchiani warned ECOWAS and unnamed Western nations against stepping in.

“We once again reiterate to ECOWAS or any other adventurer our firm determination to defend our fatherland,” the statement, which was read out on TV, said.

The coup has prompted concern that Niger, a former French colony, could pivot towards Russia.

The ousted president had worked closely with regional and Western nations to fight militant Islamists.

Burkina Faso and Mali moved closer to Russia after their own coups. In Niamey, some of the protesters outside the French embassy chanted “Long live Russia,” “Long live Putin,” and “Down with France,” AFP news agency reports.

They also set fire to the walls of the embassy compound.

France would not tolerate any attack on its interests in Niger and would respond in an “immediate and intractable manner,” President Emmanuel Macron’s office said in a statement. 

(Reuters/NAN)