Following the coup last month, a top US diplomat met in person with the leaders of the Niger’s military.
The chats had been “extremely frank and at times quite difficult,” according to acting deputy secretary of state Victoria Nuland.
President Mohamed Bazoum can yet be restored diplomatically, according to Washington, which has frozen aid payments in the meanwhile.
On Thursday, a meeting of West African nations is scheduled to discuss the problem.
The leaders of the junta in Niger were given till Sunday at 23:00 GMT to disband and reinstate the elected president. Ecowas is a commercial association of 15 West African republics.
The coup leaders blocked Niger’s airspace in response to a military threat from the bloc.
Speaking to reporters from Niamey, the capital, Ms. Nuland revealed that the US had offered its assistance after more than two hours of negotiations, “if there is a desire on the part of the people who are responsible for this to return to the constitutional order.”
She said, “I wouldn’t say that we took up that offer in any way.
General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the self-declared new leader of Niger, and Mr. Bazoum, according to Ms. Nuland, were not present when she met with the new military chief of staff, Brigadier General Moussa Salaou Barmou.
Despite having previously spoken over the phone with US officials, Mr. Bazoum is still being held.
Concerns about accusations that the coup leaders had requested aid from the Russian mercenary organisation Wagner in order to preserve power in the nation were also raised, according to Ms. Nuland.
“The people who have taken this action here understand very well the risks to their sovereignty when Wagner is invited in,” she remarked.
On July 26, Gen. Tchiani, a former head of Mr. Bazoum’s presidential guard, seized over. He claimed he wanted to stop “the gradual and inevitable demise” of Niger.
France, a former colonial power, was forced to issue a warning to its nationals on Monday about travelling to the Sahel region and cautioning those who are already there due to anti-French sentiment. This was because of the region’s escalating insecurity.
The foreign ministry issued a statement that said it was crucial for people to reduce their travel to a minimum, avoid large gatherings, and stay continuously informed of the situation.
Following news that the military leaders in Ecowas had created a comprehensive strategy for the use of force, the junta in Niger declared on Sunday that it had evidence indicating that “a foreign power” was getting ready to strike the nation.
Abdel-Fatau Musah, Ecowas’ commissioner for political affairs, peace, and security, earlier stated that the organisation wanted “diplomacy to work” despite “all the elements” of a “eventual intervention” having been worked out.
After President Bola Tinubu wrote to the Nigerian Senate about the Ecowas resolutions imposing sanctions and the potential use of military force, the Senate spent the weekend debating the situation in Niger.
According to local media, there was fierce resistance to military intervention, particularly from senators from states close to the two countries’ extensive border.
President Tinubu has been particularly outspoken in calling for the Niger military to step down and has warned to use force if they do not; however, he requires National Assembly consent before sending in foreign troops.
Numerous thousands of the coup leaders’ supporters gathered angrily on Sunday in a stadium in the nation’s capital, Niamey, as they appear unwilling to give up control.
Under Mr. Bazoum, Niger was an important Western ally in the conflict with Islamist extremists in West Africa’s Sahel area. Niger is a significant producer of uranium, a fuel essential for nuclear power.