In Niger

France's ambassador to Niger will remain in the country despite pressure to leave by the leaders of the recent coup, President Emmanuel Macron told diplomats on Monday, Reuters reported.

Macron also reiterated France's support for ousted Niger president Mohamed Bazoum, whose decision not to resign Macron called brave.

A delegation from the West African bloc - ECOWAS - has arrived in Niger to seek a peaceful, not military, solution after senior army officers seized power in a coup.

The delegation, led by former Nigerian president Abdulsalami Abubakar, arrived in the capital a day after ECOWAS military leaders announced they were ready to intervene to restore the ousted president, AFP reported.

The military regime in Niger has expressed readiness to resolve the crisis in the country through diplomatic channels. This is clear from a statement by the Nigerien religious mission. The leader of the regime, General Abdulrahman Chiani, said that "his door is open to explore the possibility of solving the crisis diplomatically and peacefully", BTA reported.

Thousands of Niger coup supporters took to the streets on Friday to protest against plans by West African nations to deploy a military force to the country, as a key regional meeting on a possible intervention was scrapped.

Coup leaders in Niger have accused French forces of violating the prohibition on using its airspace to 'destabilize' the West African nation, as France promptly rejected the allegations, an Al Jazeera report said.

New sanctions were imposed on Niger by neighboring Nigeria hours after a diplomatic delegation of African countries and the United Nations was sent away without meeting the junta that seized power in late July.

The second-ranking US diplomat met Niger's military leaders on Monday to press to reverse a coup but reported no headway a day after an ultimatum from the West African bloc ECOWAS was ignored.

Niger's airspace has been closed since Sunday, the day imposed as a deadline by a group of African countries for the leaders of Niger's military coup to relinquish power and restore the country's democratically elected president, CNN reported.

The military that overthrew the legal authority in Niger has requested help from the Russian private military company "Wagner" on the eve of an expected West African military intervention to restore constitutional order, writes "Associated Press".

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US is suspending some aid programs to the government of Niger after the military coup there 10 days ago. The exception is the delivery of humanitarian aid and primarily food products.