Demonstration in support of the military junta in Niamey, and the postponement of the meeting of the Economic Community of West African States

• 4:59 a.m.: Tentatively scheduled for Saturday, ECOWAS meeting postponed indefinitely

A major meeting of the Economic Community of West African States on the deployment of a force to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum has been postponed.

According to regional military sources, this meeting, which was initially scheduled for Saturday in Accra, was postponed indefinitely for “technical reasons”.

The ECOWAS chiefs of staff were to brief their commanders on the “best options” to follow up on their decision to activate and deploy its “reserve force”.

• 12:21 am: Washington regrets refusing to release the ousted president’s family

The head of US diplomacy, Anthony Blinken, said he was “dismayed” by Niger’s military leaders’ refusal to release the family of ousted President Mohamed Bazoum as “a sign of goodwill.”

Concern has been growing for the health and conditions of detention of President Bazoum, as well as his wife and 20-year-old son, since the July 26 coup.

During a telephone conversation with former President Mohamed Issoufou, Anthony Blinken expressed his “deep concern about the unlawful detention of President Bazoum and his family in increasingly difficult circumstances.”

• 00:00: Pro-military demonstration near the French base

Thousands of supporters of the military that took power in Niger echoed their anger against France and the West African countries affiliated with ECOWAS on Friday, including a key meeting of its chiefs of staff, over the deployment of a force to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum. Delayed.

According to regional military sources, this meeting, which was initially scheduled for Saturday in Accra, was postponed indefinitely for “technical reasons”.

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• Essentials for August 11th

Following an extraordinary summit held in Abuja, the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Thursday ordered the activation of the organization’s “standby force” to restore peace and constitutional order in Niger, without giving further details.

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara He later claimed that West African heads of state had given the go-ahead for a military operation “to begin as soon as possible”.

With AFP and Reuters