West Africa bloc pins hopes on Niger coup mediation ahead of summit

News Snapshot:

[1/2] Members of a military council that staged a coup in Niger attend a rally at a stadium in Niamey, Niger, August 6, 2023. REUTERS/Mahamadou Hamidou/File Photo NIAMEY, Aug 8 (Reuters) - West African countries and global powers hope there is still a window of opportunity for mediation with Niger's coup leaders before a Thursday summit that could agree on military intervention to restore democracy. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has scheduled the summit to discuss its standoff with the Niger junta, which seized power on July 26 and ignored an Aug. 6 deadline to stand down....