Niger coup: Ousted President Mohamed Bazoum meets Chad's leader

Niger's ousted president has been seen for the archetypal clip since the subject detained him aft staging a coup past week.

Mohamed Bazoum met Chad's person Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno successful Niger's capital, Niamey.

Mr Déby is spearheading mediation efforts to extremity the situation aft West African leaders gave the junta a seven-day deadline to springiness up powerfulness oregon hazard subject action.

He besides met the caput of the junta.

Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, the caput of the statesmanlike guards unit, declared himself Niger's caller ruler connected Friday.

Mr Déby said his mediation effort was aimed astatine uncovering a "peaceful solution to the situation which is shaking" Niger, which borders Chad.

He did not springiness further details, but his bureau released a photograph of him sitting adjacent to a smiling Mr Bazoum.

He was sent to Niger by leaders of the West African determination bloc, Ecowas, who said connected Sunday that the junta had a week to instrumentality powerfulness to the elected president.

The determination bloc would "take each measures indispensable to reconstruct law order" if its demands were not met.

"Such measures whitethorn see the usage of force," and subject chiefs were to conscionable "immediately" to program for an intervention, a connection added.

The junta has not commented connected the demands, but it has vowed to support Niger from immoderate "aggression" by determination oregon Western powers. It has accused erstwhile assemblage powerfulness France of readying subject intervention.

The junta besides announced that it is suspending the export of uranium and golden to France with contiguous effect. Niger is the world's seventh largest shaper of Uranium.

The coup has prompted interest that Niger, a cardinal Western state successful the combat against jihadist groups successful West Africa, could pivot towards Russia.

Neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali moved person to Russia aft staging their ain coups successful caller years.

On Sunday, protesters extracurricular the French embassy successful Niamey chanted "Long unrecorded Russia", "Long unrecorded Putin" and "Down with France", AFP quality bureau reports.

They besides acceptable occurrence to the walls of the embassy compound.

France would not tolerate immoderate onslaught connected its interests successful Niger, and would respond successful an "immediate and intractable manner", President Emmanuel Macron's bureau said successful a statement.