(VOVWORLD) - West African army chiefs will meet on Thursday in Ghana’s capital Accra to discuss a possible military intervention in Niger if diplomacy fails to reverse a military coup.
 General Abdourahmane Tiani, who was declared as the new head of state of Niger by leaders of a coup, arrives to meet with ministers in Niamey, Niger July 28, 2023. (Photo: REUTERS/Balima Boureima/File Photo) |
Members of Niger's presidential guard, headed by General Abdourahmane Tiani, seized power last month, drawing condemnation from global powers and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which decided last week to assemble a standby military force.
The ECOWAS army chiefs’ meeting will start at the headquarters of Ghana’s armed forces around 0900 GMT on Thursday and end on Friday afternoon.
Niger's junta has said it is open to talks to resolve the situation. But it is still detaining deposed President Mohamed Bazoum and has said it will prosecute him for high treason, which has been viewed as a sign it is unwilling to seek a peaceful route out of the crisis.