Regional leaders have threatened to use force if Niger's ousted president is not reinstated by Sunday.
BBC News, Lagos
But as the political, diplomatic and military tensions rise, what could happen as the deadline passes?This has the danger of being seen as a climbdown, but the heads of state could save face by saying that diplomatic efforts have made progress and they want to give them more time. The West African bloc has already approved democratic transitions in Niger's neighbours in the Sahel region, Mali and Burkina Faso, which were both taken over by the military in recent years.
Ecowas has used military force to restore constitutional order in the past, for example in The Gambia in 2017 when Yahya Jammeh refused to step down after losing an election.Firstly, Niger is geographically the largest country in West Africa, while The Gambia is a tiny sliver of land surrounded by Senegal and the Atlantic Ocean, so sending troops in would be a whole different prospect.
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