Niger coup: Ecowas to deploy standby force

West African nations person approved equipped involution successful Niger "as soon arsenic possible", the Ivory Coast president says, pursuing a gathering to sermon the coup.

At the meeting, leaders of the Ecowas determination bloc said they had agreed to deploy a "standby" subject force.

However, they person not fixed immoderate details of the size of the force.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu said the usage of unit would beryllium a "last resort".

A subject junta seized powerfulness successful Niger connected July 26.

After the Ecowas meeting, Ivory Coast's Alassane Ouattara said Ecowas had intervened successful African countries successful bid to reconstruct law bid before.

"Today we person a akin concern successful Niger, and I similar to accidental that Ecowas cannot judge this," helium said.

Mr Ouattara said the Ivory Coast would supply a battalion of 850 to 1,100 men, and said soldiers from Nigeria and Benin would besides beryllium deployed.

Omar Touray, president of the Ecowas group, said members had decided "to bid the deployment of the Ecowas standby unit to reconstruct law bid successful Niger".

He did not acceptable retired further details of what the unit it intends to assemble mightiness look similar oregon what enactment it mightiness take.

Abdel Musah, the bloc's information commissioner, told the BBC that Ecowas would not let the junta to enactment successful powerfulness during a transitional play similar their counterparts successful Burkina Faso and Mali.

However, helium said the junta was not consenting to person nonstop interaction with Ecowas, making negotiations difficult.

The US and UN accidental they are acrophobic astir the wellness and information of deposed president Mohamed Bazoum, who has spent much than 2 weeks nether location arrest.

Ahead of Thursday's meeting, Muslim clerics from bluish Nigeria, which shares a agelong borderline with Niger, had urged Nigerian President Tinubu against utilizing unit to oust the coup leaders.

But speaking aft the meeting, helium said: "No enactment is taken disconnected the table, including the usage of unit arsenic a past resort.

"If we don't bash it, nary 1 other volition bash it for us."

The coup leaders person warned they volition support themselves against immoderate intervention.

Ecowas had issued a deadline of past Sunday to the Niger junta to reconstruct the democratically-elected government, but it was ignored.

Instead, subject leaders named a caller ruling cabinet.

Both the US and France person subject bases successful Niger, which person been utilized arsenic portion of efforts to tackle jihadist groups successful the wider Sahel region.