<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Niger's military rulers announced Sunday that they had closed the country's airspace, warning that any attempt to violate it would meet with an "energetic and immediate response".</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Faced with the threat of intervention, which is becoming clearer through the preparation of neighbouring countries, Niger's airspace is closed from this day on Sunday... for all aircraft until further notice," the country's new rulers said in a statement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The announcement came as the deadline from the West African bloc ECOWAS for them to hand back power to the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum was due to expire.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">ECOWAS last Sunday issued Niger's new military rulers with an ultimatum to stand down within the week or face possible military intervention.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bazoum was overthrown on July 26 when members of his own guard detained him at the presidency. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>