Members of a military council that staged a coup in Niger attend a rally at a stadium in Niamey, Niger, August 6, 2023. (Photo: Reuters)

The coup, the seventh in West and Central Africa in three years, has rocked the Sahel region, one of the poorest in the world.

Given its uranium and oil riches and its pivotal role in a war with Islamist militants, Niger holds importance for the US, Europe, China and Russia. 

Defence chiefs of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have agreed a possible military action plan, including when and where to strike, if the detained president, Mohamed Bazoum, is not released and reinstated by the deadline.

ECOWAS did not respond to a request for comment on what its next steps would be, or when exactly on Sunday its deadline expires. A spokesman earlier said it would issue a statement at the end of the day.