West African military chiefs met on Thursday to discuss details of a possible military intervention if diplomacy fails to reverse the military coup. Niger's military leaders, on July 26, ousted the country's democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum.



Bazoum has been under house arrest with his wife and son in the capital, Niamey. On July 30, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued an ultimatum to restore Bazoum in seven days or face the potential use of force. The military leaders, however, did not cede. Neither did the West African nations intervene using force.

This is the first the bloc is meeting since it ordered the deployment of a “standby force” last week to restore constitutional rule in the country. The troops would include several thousand soldiers from Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Benin. It isn't clear when the force would intervene. They could take weeks or months to prepare, experts say.

ECOWAS’s commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, on Thursday, accused Niger’s military junta of refusing to meet envoys of the bloc. He also said that military intervention remained on the table, but was a last resort should diplomatic efforts fail.

ECOWAS has a poor track record in stemming the region’s rampant coups: neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali have each had two within three years, AP reported. Post the coup in Niger, ECOWAS imposed severe travel and economic sanctions on the country, which the military junta called inhuman.

“If push comes to shove we are going into Niger with our own contingents and equipment and our own resources to make sure we restore constitutional order. If other democratic partners want to support us they are welcome,” Musah told the Guardian.