Algeria has repeatedly warned against any military response to the crisis in Niger, where the presidential guard seized power and established a junta in July

Niger has accepted an Algerian offer to mediate in its political crisis, Algeria’s foreign ministry said, five weeks after the North African country proposed a six-month transition process led by a civilian.

Algeria received Niger’s official notification of its acceptance of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s mediation initiative, the ministry said in a statement on Monday on national television.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has tasked Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf with “visiting Niamey as soon as possible with the aim of launching discussions… with all stakeholders,” the statement said.

There was no immediate comment from Niger’s ruling junta.

Why is ECOWAS threatening military intervention in Niger?

Establishing constitutional order

In late August, Attaf said Algeria had spoken several times to Niger’s military leaders and proposed an initiative to return the country to normal constitutional order.

It said it would propose guarantees for all sides in the crisis and host a conference on development in the Sahel region, without elaborating.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said last month he was seeking to re-establish constitutional order and address political and economic problems in Niger and welcomed any support for that process.

Tinubu is the chairman of the main West African bloc ECOWAS, which has been trying to negotiate with the Niger military junta. ECOWAS has said it is ready to deploy troops if diplomatic efforts to restore order were unsuccessful.