The coup-hit nations of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have ruled out returning to the West Africa regional bloc whose division could further jeopardize regional efforts to revert coups and curb the violence spreading across the region. Military junta leaders of the three countries announced that during their first summit in Niamey, the capital of Niger, on Saturday after their withdrawal from the West Africa bloc known as ECOWAS in January. They also accused the bloc of failing its mandate and pledged to consolidate their union – the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) — created last year amid fractured relations with neighbors.
