A Niger’s police officer stands guard next to some of the 300 trucks mainly loaded with food that arrived from Burkina Faso in Niamey on August 21, 2023. (Photo: AFP)

The main West African bloc ECOWAS has been trying to negotiate with the coup leaders but warned it is ready to send troops into Niger to restore constitutional order if diplomatic efforts fail.

Any escalation risks further destabilising the insurgency-torn region as Niger's junta-led neighbours, Mali and Burkina Faso, have said they would back Niger in any conflict with ECOWAS.