The French military denied on Tuesday that it had asked Algeria to use its airspace to carry out a military operation in Niger. The head of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) mission to Niger described the meeting with the military council as "productive" The Peace and Security Council of the African Union announced the immediate suspension of Niger's membership in all activities of the Union. France's military presence in West Africa has become increasingly fragile amid a wave of coups in the Sahel since 2020.