Subsequently, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the Commander of the Presidential Guard, proclaimed himself the leader of the country and established the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, after confirming the success of the coup.

[5][6][7][8] In response to this development, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued an ultimatum on 30 July, giving the coup leaders in Niger one week to reinstate Bazoum, with the threat of international sanctions and potential use of force.

[26] While declaring himself acting head of state and calling for resistance against the coup,[26] Bazoum's Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou told France 24 that the country's "legal and legitimate power" remained with the President.

In 2022, it became a hub of French anti-terror operations after its departure from Mali and Burkina Faso following a series of military coups[40] and anti-French sentiment which paved the way for Russian influence and the entry of its private mercenary firm Wagner Group in the region.

[45] The African Union Peace and Security Council issued an ultimatum that if the soldiers did not "immediately and unconditionally return to their barracks and restore constitutional democracy, within a maximum of fifteen days" that the bloc would be compelled to take "necessary action, including punitive measures against perpetrators".

[48][49] The response from the bloc towards the junta drastically differed from the measures taken with recent coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea which did not involve the threat of force for reinstating the overthrown government.

[53] In a march at the request of Tchiani and organized by the M62 Movement, which had previously opposed Bazoum's government and Operation Barkhane and supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine, thousands of pro-coup Nigeriens gathered in Niamey's Place de la Concertation, in front of the National Assembly, and went to the French Embassy carrying Nigerien, Russian and North Korean flags, with slogans such as "Down with France, out with Barkhane, we don't care about ECOWAS, the European Union and the African Union!

[54] The French embassy's walls and gates were set ablaze and damaged while Nigerien soldiers and General Salifou Modi were seen on the ground urging the crowds to disperse peacefully.

[78] Senegal's foreign minister, Aïssata Tall Sall, and her counterpart in Benin, Shegun Adjadi Bakari, confirmed that their countries would participate in a military intervention in Niger if approved by ECOWAS.

[92] The Nigerian Senate rejected President Tinubu's request to authorize military intervention in Niger, instead urging him to resolve the crisis by more diplomatic means and to "tread with caution".

[127] In an interview with The Guardian, Bazoum's daughter said she had remained in near-daily phone contact with detained members of her family from Paris, and added that they had been losing weight under deteriorating health conditions.

"[133] ECOWAS member state Cape Verde announced that it was against military intervention, saying that the country was unlikely to participate in such a campaign, and stressed that the block should seek a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.

[134][135] Niger's ambassador in Washington, Mamadou Kiari Liman-Tinguiri, called on the United States and other allies of Bazoum to stage a "rescue mission" to save his life, claiming that the junta was starving him to death.

[140] Burkina Faso suspended the Omega media group, a radio station owned and operated by former foreign minister Alpha Barry, for airing an "insulting" interview with Nigerien pro-Bazoum spokesman Ousmane Abdoul Moumouni, which criticized the junta and supported Bazoum's restoration.

[119] An appeals court cancelled a nine-month prison sentence handed out to Abdoulaye Seydou, leader of the M62 Movement, regarding a case involving an army air strike on suspected jihadists in southern Niger.

[156] In a phone call with the leader of the Malian junta, Assimi Goïta, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his support for the use of "exclusively peaceful political and diplomatic means" to resolve the Niger crisis.

[159] Niger's defence ministry reported that armed groups launched an assault on an army detachment near Koutougou near the Malian and Burkina Faso border that killed at least 17 Nigerien soldiers and injured 20.

[165][166] German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on the EU to impose sanctions on the junta after holding talks with Blinken, AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, and other stakeholders.

[168] In a meeting of major Roman Catholic bishops in West Africa, Togolese religious heads announced their opposition to a military intervention, and called on ECOWAS and the junta to enter into bilateral diplomatic talks.

[181] During an address on national television, Tchiani announced a three-year transition to civilian rule and said that the junta did not aim "to confiscate power", adding that a military intervention would "not be the walk in the park some people seem to think".

[213][214] During a meeting with U.S. special envoy Molly Phee, Tinubu said that war with Niger was not ideal but also stated that he would not allow anyone to falsely buy time and ECOWAS was ready for all options.

[234] The junta accused France of deploying soldiers and equipment to ECOWAS member states, particularly in Senegal, Ivory Coast and Benin, as part of a planned "aggression" against Niger in conjunction with the regional bloc.

[239] French Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak said such measure was out of "security concerns" following coups in those countries, and insisted it was only made because of practical reasons since no visa could be issued in those nations amid ongoing conflicts.

[253] The Algerian Foreign Ministry announced that the junta had agreed to a mediation process hosted by Algeria and a six-month transition plan towards the restoration of civilian rule in Niger.

[259] The junta ordered the departure of Louise Aubin, head of the UN diplomatic mission in Niger, within 72 hours, with the Foreign Ministry accusing the UN of using "obstacles" to prevent the country from participating in the UN General Assembly in September.

[264] French state-owned outlet RFI reported that ECOWAS was now quietly demobilizing its forces and quoted a diplomat from a member state as saying "no one is opting for military intervention anymore.

[266] The junta formally asked Togo to mediate in its negotiations with the international community, particularly with ECOWAS following talks between defence minister Salifou Modi and Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé in Lomé.

[282] Prime Minister Zeine opened regional consultations in Agadez with members of the government, the junta and traditional and religious leaders as part of the beginning of an "inclusive national" dialogue to address the post-coup political situation, including the transition to civilian rule.

[285] Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS, accusing it of abandoning "the ideals of its founding fathers and pan-Africanism" under foreign influence and imposing "inhumane" sanctions to overthrow their military regimes.

[305] On 1 August, the French foreign ministry announced that it was preparing to evacuate its citizens and that of other European nationals starting that day, citing the unrest in Niamey, the attack on its embassy, and the closure of Niger's airspace.