Army chiefs from West African nations on Thursday, August 17 held a meeting in Accra, Ghana to deliberate on possible military intervention in reversing the coup.

The decision to involve the military in the Niger crisis was arrived at after other West African states under ECOWAS tried the use of diplomacy in resolving the matter without success.

Several presidents and heads of governments from Africa and other nations condemned the coup and called for the immediate release of the ousted president Mohamed Bazoum from detention.

Officers from the Niger’s presidential guard, headed by General Abdourahmane Tiani, seized power last month, in a coup that has attracted criticism worldwide.

Earlier reports indicated that Niger’s junta was open and ready for talks to restore normalcy in the country.

The coup plotters are still detaining ousted President Mohamed Bazoum as they plan to prosecute him for high treason in court.

Leaders from the African Union, the European Union, the United States, and the United Nations had expressed their fears over the health of Bazoum, his family, and government officials in detention.

West African countries were initially hesitant to involve military intervention, fearing that it could further destabilize the country.