Senegalese President Macky Sall said Thursday that a diplomatic solution is "still possible" in Niger, nearly two months after the military coup that ousted the elected president of that country.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which Senegal is a member, threatened to intervene militarily in Niger if diplomatic pressure failed to restore civilian rule to the country.
The army in Niger overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, and he has been detained at home with his family since then.
“I hope that reason will triumph in the end,” Sall said in an interview with Radio France Internationale and France 24. “It is still possible to move forward rationally to reach a solution.”
Sall urged the coup leaders in Niger "not to push us to the final decision, which will be military intervention."
He added on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York that "this last military option can only be undertaken when all avenues have truly been exhausted."
Sall pointed out that Nigeria, whose President Bola Tinubu holds the presidency of ECOWAS, is making every effort to find a diplomatic solution.
He added, "I expect him to inform us of the results of his various approaches so that we can finally evaluate and adopt a joint decision."
ECOWAS leaders said they had to act after Niger became the fourth West African country to witness a coup since 2020, after Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea.
