West Africa's main regional bloc on Friday said it had agreed an undisclosed "D-Day" for a possible military intervention to restore democracy in Niger if diplomatic efforts fail, stressing that it would not hold endless dialogue with the defiant junta, which took power in a coup in late July.

The comments came at the end of a two-day meeting of West African army chiefs in Ghana's capital Accra, where they have been hashing out the logistics and strategy for a possible use of force in Niger. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said such action would be a last resort.

(Cover: The defense chiefs from the Economic Community of West African States countries, excluding Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea and Niger, gather to discuss the situation in Niger in Accra, Ghana, August 17, 2023. /CFP)