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July 30 (UPI) -- West African nations gave Niger's military coup leadership an ultimatum on Sunday: Either relinquish power back to civilian rule or potentially face military force. The 15-country union of the Economic Community of West African States made the threat in a communique issued at the end of their extraordinary summit convened Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria, to discuss last week's coup of Niger by the so-called National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland.
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On Wednesday, President Mohamed Bazoum was detained by his presidential guard, with the newly established council claiming to have put an end to his elected rule.
Over the weekend -- following days of increasing international worry and condemnation over the latest coup of a Sahel nation in the last few years -- Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who has led Niger's presidential guards since 2011, declared himself the country's new leader.
Tchiani's rule was wholly rejected by the ECOWAS on Sunday when the West African nations affirmed that Bazoum remains the legitimate head of state of Niger and agreed to view his detention and that of his family as illegal and a hostage situation. They also said they'd rejected any official act not taken by the president or his duly mandated officials.
They demanded Bazoum's immediate release and for his reinstatement along with the full restoration of Niger's constitutional order.
If the ECOWAS' demands are not met with one week's time, the 15 nations jointly said they would "take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger."
"Such measures may include the use of force," according to the communique. "To this effect, the chiefs of defense staff of ECOWAS are to meet immediately."
The countries also enforced a slew of punitive measures against Niger, effective immediately, including the closure of all land and air borders with Niger, the establishment of a no-fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger and the suspension of all commercial and financial transitions with the country.
All service transactions, including with utilities, have been frozen, as have all assets of the country in ECOWAS central banks as well as the assets of Niger and state and parastatal enterprises in commercial banks.
Niger has also been suspended from all financial assistance and transactions with financial institutions, and travel bans and asset freezes have been slapped on military officials involved in the coup as well as their family members and any civilians who accept positions in institutions established by the coup government.
''We will stand with our people in freedom and our commitment to the rule of law and not the barrel of gun. Africa has come of age," Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said following the completion of the union's summit.
''We reject coup and interruption to constitutional order."
Until the coup, Niger was an ally to democratic nations. It is also the latest Sahel government to fall in a coup after neighbors Mali in 2021 and Burkina Faso twice last year.
The European Union has already suspended aid to Niger and its former colonial ruler France has also done likewise.
The United States has rejected the coup and threatened its own aid to the West African nation, and on Sunday praised the ECOWAS for their zero tolerance of unconstitutional change.
"We join ECOWAS and regional leaders in calling for the immediate release of President Mohamed Bazoum and his family and the restoration of all state functions to the legitimate, democratically elected government," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday night in a statement.
"The United States will remain actively engaged with ECOWAS and West African leaders on next steps to preserve Niger's hard-earned democracy."
