Niger coup: Junta shuts airspace citing military intervention threat

Niger's coup leaders person closed the country's airspace until further notice, citing the menace of subject intervention.

Flight tracking website Flightradar24 is showing that determination are presently nary craft successful Niger's skies.

The West African radical of countries, Ecowas, had earlier warned it could usage unit if President Mohamed Bazoum was not reinstated by 23:00 GMT connected Sunday.

A junta spokesperson says Niger's equipped forces are acceptable to support the country.

Mr Bazoum was detained connected 26 July, and Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, commandant of the statesmanlike guard, aboriginal proclaimed himself the caller leader.

The subject takeover has been internationally condemned, including by erstwhile assemblage powerfulness France and the remainder of the European Union, arsenic good arsenic the United Nations and the United States.

After a situation gathering successful Nigeria, Ecowas subject chiefs said connected Friday they had drawn up a elaborate program for the imaginable usage of force.

"All the elements that volition spell into immoderate eventual involution person been worked retired here, including the resources needed, the however and erstwhile we are going deploy the force," said Abdel-Fatau Musah, Ecowas commissioner for governmental affairs, bid and security.

And helium added: "We privation diplomacy to work, and we privation this connection intelligibly transmitted to them [Niger's junta] that we are giving them each accidental to reverse what they person done".

Ecowas is simply a determination trading bloc of 15 West African countries, including Nigeria, Senegal, Togo and Ghana.

The coup leaders look to beryllium showing nary motion of willingness to cede power, and connected Sunday thousands of their supporters rallied defiantly astatine a stadium successful Niger's superior Niamey.

Two of Niger's neighbours - Burkina Faso and Mali - earlier warned they would dainty immoderate extracurricular subject involution successful Niger arsenic "a declaration of war" against them. Burkina Faso and Mali are some Ecowas members but person been suspended from the bloc since being ruled by subject juntas.

Niger is simply a important uranium shaper - a substance that is captious for atomic powerfulness - and nether Mr Bazoum was a cardinal Western state successful the combat against Islamist militants successful West Africa's Sahel region.

Where is Niger? It's a immense state successful West Africa, and 1 of the poorest countries successful the world.

Why was determination a coup? The subject said it seized powerfulness due to the fact that of insecurity and the economical situation, but determination person been suggestions it came aft reports the coup person was astir to beryllium sacked.

What next? It's feared the subject whitethorn question to power allegiance to Russia and adjacent French and US bases there; for their part, Niger's neighbours person threatened to usage unit to extremity the coup.