PARIS, August 8. /TASS/. The countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) can provide up to 25,000 troops for the potential invasion of Niger in order to restore the rule of the country’s President Mohamed Bazoum, the RFI radio station reported.

According to it, the plans of the ECOWAS military leadership involve a "group of 25,000 soldiers" with the "majority of forces deployed by Nigeria."

On July 26, military rebels in Niger announced the removal of President Bazoum, closure of national borders, introduction of a curfew and suspension of the constitution, as well as a ban on political parties. On July 28, they declared that General Abdourahmane Tchiani had become head of state. During the coup, Tchiani headed the presidential guard, units of which physically seized President Bazoum and continue to hold him.

On July 30, at a summit in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, ECOWAS condemned the Niger coup and gave the mutineers a week to restore constitutional order, threatening to take measures up to and including military intervention.

However, the Al Arabiya TV channel, citing the defense ministers of the regional union, has reported that the ECOWAS military leadership deemed the use of force against Niger as impractical but decided to increase sanctions pressure so that the mutineers release Bazoum.