Niger’s coup leaders have closed the country’s airspace until further notice, citing the threat of military intervention from their neighbours.
It comes after the Ecowas group of West African states demanded President Mohamed Bazoum be reinstated by Sunday.
There has been no sign of a military response and no statement from Ecowas.
France warned citizens against any travel to Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, which have sided with the junta, and Air France suspended all flights.
Mali said it and Burkina Faso, both also ruled by juntas following recent coups, would send delegations to Niger to “express solidarity”.
Flightradar24 showed a transport plane had flown from Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, and landed in Niger hours after airspace was closed.
The junta in Niger on Sunday said it had information that “a foreign power” was preparing to attack the country, after military chiefs from Ecowas, a bloc of 15 countries including Nigeria, Senegal, Togo and Ghana, drew up a detailed plan for use of force.
It had issued a 23:00 GMT Sunday deadline to Niger’s junta leaders to stand down and restore the elected president.
However, following the passing of the deadline, Abdel-Fatau Musah, the bloc’s commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, said that while “all the elements” had been worked out about an “eventual intervention”, the body wanted “diplomacy to work”.
Bola Tinubu, president of the main regional power Nigeria, faced domestic political opposition to intervention, with senators voting against military action. (BBC)
