Seven months after the coup that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, Niger's security forces have seized large quantities of weapons in the capital. They say the military equipment belongs to France, and accuse Paris of trying to destabilise the country.

West Africa's regional bloc ECOWAS on Sunday set up a committee of three leaders to negotiate with Niger's military junta on a transition to democratic rule and to consider easing sanctions, a communique said after an annual summit.

Exactly six weeks after the coup in Niger, FRANCE 24 interviewed Abdel-Fatau Musah, the West African bloc ECOWAS's Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security. He insisted that ECOWAS was not discussing any kind of transition with the junta in Niamey and that instead the bloc continued to demand the release of President Mohamed Bazoum and the immediate restoration of constitutional order.

Niger's junta on Tuesday said that it was open to talks to resolve a regional crisis caused by last month's military coup, while Russia and the United States called for a peaceful resolution.

In Niger, the country's new military rulers refused to allow a West African peace mission to visit from neighboring Nigeria. Niger's junta appears unwilling to back down, even as other countries impose sanctions and trade restrictions.

Pressure mounts on Niger's military junta to re-install the democratic government. The US says there is still time for a diplomatic exit to the crisis, as ECOWAS threatens military intervention to restore President Bazoum to power. Meanwhile, France slashes millions in aid to Burkina Faso in response to its support for Niger's junta. And lastly, Senegal's most prominent opposition leader is hospitalised, following a hunger strike in prison. Ousmane Sonko began refusing food late last month in protest at what he says are politically motivated charges.

Defense chiefs from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) say they finalized a plan for a potential military intervention in Niger. The regional bloc has given coup leaders in Niger until Sunday to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum.

The military junta said it shuttered the country's airspace because of the "threat of intervention." An ECOWAS demand to restore President Bazoum or risk military action has now expired.

The West African economic bloc, ECOWAS, has given coup leaders in Niger one week to cede power and reinstate the country's democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum — or face possible military intervention.