STORY: West Africa's main economic and political bloc has said it will pursue "more vigorous" reconciliation efforts with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
:: Niamey, Niger
That's after the breakaway, junta-led countries signed a "confederation treaty" on Saturday (July 6), underscoring their determination to leave the 15-member Economic Community of West African States.
:: Abuja, Nigeria
In a communique on Monday (July 8), ECOWAS said it was disappointed by a lack of progress with the three nations.
And at the opening of a summit in Nigeria's capital Abuja on Sunday (July 7), ECOWAS commission president Oumar Touray warned that the region risks disintegration and worsening insecurity.
"To complicate the situation, our region has become the arena of geo-strategic and geo-political rivalries and the theater of misinformation and disinformation that engenders mistrust among, and within communities, and undermines social cohesion."
:: Niamey, Niger
Juntas seized control in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger between 2020 and 2023.
They have severed military and diplomatic ties with regional allies and Western powers, and moved closer to Russia.
The signing of the "confederation treaty" on Saturday took place at the first summit of their Alliance of Sahel States, or AES.
It's not clear how closely the AES will harmonize political, economic and defence policies as it struggles to contain a decade-old battle with jihadist insurgents and grow economies that are among the world's poorest.
But one thing they made clear at the weekend - they want to face these challenges with their backs to ECOWAS.
