The French Foreign Ministry said Thursday that Paris supports all the decisions made at the summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to restore constitutional order in Niger against the background of the military takeover in the country.
"France fully supports all the decisions of the ECOWAS summit," the ministry said in a communique on the website.
The ministry added that the summit participants reaffirmed their determination to restore constitutional and democratic order in Niger and achieve the immediate release of Nigerien President Bazoum and his family.
Nigeria's president and the chairman of ECOWAS, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said during the summit that nothing is ruled out when it comes to the situation in Niger, including the use of force as a last resort.
On July 26, Niger's presidential guard removed Bazoum from power. The guard's commander, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, proclaimed himself the country's new leader. The caretaker National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland closed the country's borders, brushing aside security agreements with France, the country's former colonizer. Bazoum and several ministers in his government were detained by the coup leaders.
