The ECOWAS regional bloc has set up a committee of three leaders to negotiate with Niger's military junta on a transition to democratic rule.
West African leaders on Sunday demanded a "short" period of transition toward civilian rule in coup-hit Niger before they would ease economic sanctions on the country.
At a summit in Nigeria's capital Abuja, the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) officially recognized the junta in power.
They said a heads-of-state group from Benin, Togo and Sierra Leone would engage with Niger's regime's CNSP (National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland) leadership to decide on conditions for lifting sanctions.
"Based on the outcomes of the engagement by the committee of heads of state with the CNSP, the authority will progressively ease the sanctions imposed on Niger," ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray told the closing of the summit.
"Failure by the CNSP to comply with the outcomes of engagement with the committee, ECOWAS shall maintain all sanctions," he added.
Niger's junta had previously said it would take three years to return to civilian rule.
Bazoum's future in doubt
The recognition of the junta appears to diminish the chances that Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum may be reinstated.
He was deposed on July 26, prompting ECOWAS to impose tough sanctions and suspend trade.
Niger's military leaders had previously rejected a call by Nigeria to free Bazoum, who is under house arrest, and allow him to fly to a third country, as a step to opening talks on lifting sanctions.
ECOWAS leaders, again, requested Bazoum's immediate and unconditional release -- but this time were silent on his future as head of state.
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The West African regional bloc also left on the table a possible military intervention in Niger, though analysts say that appears increasingly unlikely.
Military takeovers in several African nations
West and Central Africa have seen a surge of coups over the past three years, with eight military takeovers, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea.
In the past month, the governments of Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau have also described political crises as attempted coups.
Despite sanctions and other measures by ECOWAS, Touray told the heads of state that Niger's junta has consolidated its grip on power.
The country's military has demanded that French troops based there to fight Islamist militants in the Sahel region leave.
Niger's junta has also allied with Burkina Fasoand Mali and turned to Russia for a military partnership after severing ties with the West.
The military governments of Mali and Burkina Faso have, meanwhile, stopped collaborating with ECOWAS on a potential and delayed return to civilian rule. In Mali's case, civilian rule was last in place before the first of two coups, in August 2020. Burkina Faso's elected government was ousted last year.
mm/msh (AFP, AP, Reuters)
