Mali, Burkina, Niger leaving is 'blow to ECOWAS' says analyst

The withdrawal of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is "a blow to ECOWAS and I would say beyond that a blow to regional integration in West Africa," says Gilles Yabi, founder of the West African think tank WATHI, based in the Senegalese capital Dakar.

The withdrawal of the three, now united in a confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), takes effect on 29 January, despite all three countries having ignored ECOWAS's call to extend the period by six months to try and find a solution.