Niger has been immediately suspended from all African Union (AU) activities following a coup on July 26, the bloc's Peace and Security Council said in a communique released on Tuesday.

The regional bloc reiterated its calls for the coup leaders to release President Mohamed Bazoum and return to their barracks.

The AU Peace and Security Council said it has taken note of the decision of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to activate a standby force for a possible military intervention and asked the AU Commission to assess the economic, social, and security implications of deploying such a force.