Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso junta chiefs 'turn their backs' on West Africa bloc Ecowas

Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso hope to form closer ties and move away from the wider regional group, Ecowas.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUK General ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersJunta chiefs 'turn their backs' on West Africa bloc22 hours agoBy Damian Zane, BBC NewsShareBurkina Faso PresidencyNiger's General Abdourahamane Tchiani (C) welcomed his Malian and Burkinabé counterparts, Col Assimi Goïta (L) and Capt Ibrahim Traoré (R), to NiameyNiger's military leader, speaking alongside the junta chiefs from Mali and Burkina Faso, has said they are "irrevocably" turning their backs on the wider West African bloc, Ecowas.

The three men are meeting together for the first time to cement an alliance created in the face of opposition from neighbouring countries.

Soldiers took power in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger in a series of coups from 2020 to 2023.

All three countries – which now form the Alliance of Sahel States - have been affected by jihadist violence, in part a reason given for the army takeovers.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp38v5p6g35o

---