Niger has accepted Algeria's initiative for a peaceful political settlement of the crisis in the country, the Algerian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
"The Algerian government, through the Niger Foreign Ministry, received an official appeal informing them of the acceptance of the Algerian initiative for a political settlement of the crisis in this brotherly country," the ministry said in a statement.
The acceptance of the Algerian initiative, according to the statement, enhances the prospects of achieving an amicable resolution to the crisis in the West African nation.
It was noted that Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, following Niger's approval of the initiative, instructed Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf "to go to Niamey as soon as possible" to initiate preparatory discussions with all interested parties regarding the implementation of this proposal.
Earlier in August, Algeria's foreign minister said that President Tebboune had proposed an initiative for a peaceful political settlement of the crisis in Niger. According to the top diplomat, this initiative includes the reinforcement of the principle of illegitimate constitutional changes and the establishment of a transitional period of six months to reach a political solution that guarantees the return to a constitutional and democratic system.
The initiative also involves organizing an international conference on Sahel development to mobilize the required resources to ensure security and stability in the region.
Speaking at the press conference with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Ankara last month, Attaf said that a military intervention would only lead to a deterioration of the situation in the country, elaborating that intervening states would withdraw, "leaving behind grief and ruin."
He added that the countries of the region have already experienced military interventions, stressing that the crisis in Niger must be resolved peacefully.
On July 26, a group of members of the presidential guard announced the removal of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum. To govern the country, the National Council for the Defense of the Homeland was formed, headed by the commander of the guard, Abdourahmane Tchiani. On August 10, Tchiani signed a decree on the formation of a transitional government.
Following the coup, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended all cooperation with Niger and threatened a military intervention if the military did not reinstate Bazoum.