The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has confirmed that he had a conversation with President Bola Tinubu regarding the ongoing developments in Niger.
The communication that took place on Monday marked the third exchange within three weeks between senior US officials and Abuja, following the seizure of power by coup leaders in the West African nation.
President Tinubu holds the position of chairman within the regional organization Ecowas, which is at the forefront of initiatives to restore the deposed President Mohamed Bazoum. Ecowas is also in the process of assembling troops for potential deployment of military force in Niamey.
Mr. Blinken said in a Twitter post that he had called President Tinubu to “commend his leadership of the Economic Community of West African States and discussed shared efforts to restore constitutional order in Niger.”
The US is one of many western nations with military installations in Niger, which is thought to be crucial in the struggle against the development of the Sahelian Islamist insurgency.
Many common people in West Africa are adamantly opposed to any military intervention in Niger, and there was a minor protest against the use of force over the weekend in Kano, the capital of northern Nigeria.