West African bloc ECOWAS has said its leaders would meet on Thursday on the crisis in Niger, to discuss next of action.
In a reaction to the defiance by Niger junta, to restore democratic leader Mohamed Bazoum back to power, the 15-member bloc said heads of state will hold another extraordinary summit in Abuja, Nigeria.
Earlier today, an ECOWAS source said West African nations were not envisaging an immediate military intervention at this stage after Mali and Burkina Faso said they were sending a joint official delegation to Niamey to show solidarity.
Italy and Germany called for a diplomatic solution in the troubled Sahel nation, noting that military intervention would be tantamount to a declaration of war.
