The African Union has expressed its ''strong support'' for the West African regional bloc ECOWAS in its resolution aimed at reversing last month's coup in Niger.
During its second summit on the coup on Thursday, ECOWAS ordered the deployment of its 'standby force' to Niger.
The military authorities in Niger should ''urgently halt the escalation of relations with the regional organisation ECOWAS, including the cessation of the continued sequestration of President Bazoum in worryingly poor conditions,'' Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat said.
Moussa Faki Mahamat ''expresses his deep concern at the reported poor conditions of detention of President Mohamed Bazoum. Indeed, concordant sources attest to a worrying deterioration of such conditions,'' the AU said in a statement on Friday.
He described the detention of the ousted president as ''illegal'' and that such ''treatment of a democratically elected president through a regular electoral process is unacceptable.''
The African Union calls for the ''immediate release of President Bazoum and all members of his family.''
It also urged ''the entire international community to unite efforts to save the moral and physical integrity of President Mohamed Bazoum.''
