Defence chiefs from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, met in Ghana on Thursday to discuss Niger’s crisis after a deadline passed for mutinous soldiers to release and reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum or face military intervention.

Bazoum was overthrown in July and remains under house arrest with his wife and son in the capital, Niamey. This is the first meeting since ECOWAS ordered the deployment of a “standby force” last week to restore constitutional rule in the country. However, it’s unclear if or when troops would intervene.