US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had spoken to Niger President Mohamed Bazoum to express continued efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the constitutional crisis in the West African country.
"The United States reiterates our call for the immediate release of him and his family," he posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
This comes a day after Acting Deputy Secretary of State and Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland told visited Niger but the military rulers denied her access to the junta leader and the deposed president.
Nuland said she had "frank" and "difficult" talks with the leaders of the military coup. "They are quite firm in their view on how they want to proceed, and it does not comport with the constitution of Niger," she said.
The United States, France and the UN are backing efforts by West African regional group ECOWAS to restore constitutional order and reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
But the coup leaders appear unwilling to budge. They rejected a request for a visit by the West African regional bloc ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations.
ECOWAS had threatened to use force against the coup leaders if they fail to relinquish power.
However, on Tuesday, the chairman of the bloc and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said the diplomatic efforts could resolve the crisis.
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