Vatican City, Aug 20 (AP) Pope Francis expressed hope Sunday for a peaceful solution to the crisis in Niger following the military coup in the West African nation.

The pontiff told the faithful in St. Peter's Square that he is following events with concern, joining an appeal “for peace in the country and stability in the Sahel region.”

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He called on the international community “to find a peaceful solution as soon as possible, for the good of all.”

Mutinous soldiers overthrew Niger's democratically elected president last month, and have quickly entrenched themselves in power, rebuffing most dialogue efforts.

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President Mohamed Bazoum, his wife and son have been kept under house arrest in the capital.

Talks this weekend between Niger's new military regime and a delegation from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, have reportedly yielded little progress. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)