A delegation from West Africa arrived in Niamey on Saturday to try to reach a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Niger. The delegation met with ousted president Mohamed Bazoum, an ECOWAS source revealed.

Quoted by the AFP news agency, the source from the Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said that the deposed president, who has been detained since the July 26 coup, "is in good spirits".

The meeting was confirmed by a journalist from the Nigerian news agency, who was present at the presidential palace on Saturday afternoon during the delegation's visit.

The group of representatives, led by former Nigerian President Abdulsalami Abubakar, was received at Niamey airport by the prime minister appointed by the military that came to power in July, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine.

The delegation met with some military personnel, the ECOWAS source said, without specifying whether Niger's new strongman, General Abdourahamane Tiani, was present.

Abubakar had already been in Niamey on behalf of ECOWAS on August 3, but had not met either General Tiani or the ousted president.

This diplomatic mediation comes a day after the West African organization said it was ready to use force to restore constitutional order in Niger.

On July 26, the head of the Nigerian Presidential Guard, Abdourahmane Tiani, announced the deposition of Mohamed Bazoum and the closure of the borders, due to the deep economic and security crisis in the country, which is facing an increase in operations by branches of the extremist group Islamic State and Al-Qaida.

Niger is the fourth West African country to be led by a military junta, after Mali, Guinea Conakry and Burkina Faso, which also had coups between 2020 and 2022.