West African heads of state on Thursday held a summit to discuss their next steps after Niger’s military junta defied their deadline to reinstate the deposed President Mohamed Bazoum. Nigeria President Bola Ahmed Tinbu, who is the current chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, told fellow leaders that they must prioritize diplomacy in order to reach peace. For more insight on the mediation efforts of ECOWAS and Niger’s political future, VOA’s Esther Githui-Ewart was joined by Kwaku Nuamah, professor of international politics at American University in Washington.