Nigerian religious leaders have travelled to Niger to meet members of the military who seized power last month.
Newly appointed Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine received the delegation at the capital's Diori Hamani airport, Niger's ANP press agency reported.
The delegation of Muslim religious leaders headed by Sheikh Bala Lau, leader of the Izala Islamic organisation in Nigeria, reportedly met with the coup leaders. It was not immediately clear whether they were able to secure any commitment.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who is currently chairman of West African bloc ECOWAS had approved the mediation effort by the religious leaders.
"The clerical delegation is currently in Niamey on the mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to douse tension created by the prospect of military intervention by ECOWAS," said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity to AFP news agency on Saturday.
Historical ties
Sheikh Lau had earlier in the week led a delegation of religious leaders who met with Tinubu in his office in Nigeria's capital where the mission was discussed with the president giving his authorisation.
Before the British and French colonisers divided them in the 19th century, Niger and most part of Nigeria were the same people sharing religious, cultural and linguistic and administrative systems.
These historical ties and mutual respect have continued to date as the people of both Niger and northern Nigeria are mainly Muslim and Hausa-speaking. This is irrespective of their colonial history.
This is seen as partly the reason why the junta welcomes traditional and religious leaders from Nigeria. An attempt this week to send a joint team of ECOWAS, UN and African Union representatives to Niamey was rejected by the coup leaders.
Military force
The mission by religious leaders from northern Nigeria comes just days after the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) approved the deployment of a "standby force to restore constitutional order" in Niger.
But a meeting by ECOWAS defence chiefs set to take place on Saturday to discuss the military strategy was suspended indefinitely.
ECOWAS has yet to provide details on the force or a timetable for action, and the regional leaders have emphasised at the same time that they wanted a peaceful solution.
The threat of a military intervention has proved highly divisive among ECOWAS members and other African nations wary of sparking a conflict with an unpredictable outcome.
Meanwhile, the parliament of the West African regional bloc aims to send a committee to Niger to meet the coup leaders, a parliament spokesperson said on Saturday.
Deposed President Mohamed Bazoum is being detained by the junta since the coup on July 26. So far the coup leaders have remained defiant in the face of growing pressure to relinquish power.
