(Reuters) -The African Union (AU) has suspended Niger from all its activities following a military coup on July 26, it said in a statement released on Tuesday, reiterating calls for the coup leaders to release elected President Mohamed Bazoum and return to their barracks.

The AU Peace and Security Council has taken note of West African bloc ECOWAS' decision to activate a standby force for a possible military intervention and asked the AU Commission to assess the economic, social, and security implications of deploying such a force.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said it is prepared to send troops into Niger if diplomatic efforts to restore democracy fail.

The AU called on all of its member states and the international community to refrain from any action that could legitimise Niger's junta, and said it strongly rejected interference from any actor or country outside of Africa.

(Reporting by Nellie Peyton; Writing by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Alexander Winning)