A delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met with Niger coup leader General Abdourahmane Tchiani on Thursday in an attempt to end the crisis in the country.

The delegation, led by former Nigerian military leader General Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd) and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, was received by General Tchiani and other top brass of the military junta.

The meeting comes after ECOWAS gave the military rulers a one-week ultimatum to return the country to democratic government. The regional bloc has also imposed sanctions on Niger, including cutting the transmission of electricity supply.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu, in his role as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, dispatched a delegation to Niger to address the crisis.

According to a statement from presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale on Thursday, “the action was in line with the resolution reached at the end of the extraordinary summit of the ECOWAS held last weekend in Abuja.”

The coup in Niger has been condemned by the international community, including the United Nations, the African Union, and the United States